Unexpected Familiarity
by 2017pastnpresent
Summary: When two Cliffhangers unexpectedly cross paths again, everyone connected is forced to face their fears, soul search, and come to terms with decisions they've made. Poor summary. Read it and see what you think.
1. Chapter 1

Unexpected Familiarity

Disclaimer: I do not own Higher Ground, the show's concept, characters, or anything else affiliated with the show. Apologizes if I got any aspects concerning jobs or therapy wrong.

Warning: Not a Scott and Shelby story. Nothing against them but wanted to do something else. Hope it doesn't offend anyone.

Scott looked out of the plane window at his approaching destination of Pasadena, California. He was spending two weeks there on a business trip with his associate Jeremy. They had made plans to host parties for potential clients. Not ragers but small cocktail parties. Neither one of them were huge partiers…anymore. Their company was looking at expanding into California. He and Jeremy had already spent two weeks in San Francisco. Jeremy spent what seemed like most of the trip on the phone with people from Pasadena. They seemed very interested in the company opening a branch there.

Jeremey leaned over Scott to look out too; "Hey, I've been talking to a confirmed new client here for the last two weeks. He seems pretty nice. He's originally from Washington, so I told him you were too. He asked from where and what high school you went to. I said a boarding school called Horizon but left it at that. He said his wife's best friend went there too. Her names Juliette. Small world, huh?"

A tight knot formed in Scott's stomach. He continued to look out the window. Jeremy looked at his clenched jaw and got the message. Jeremy had become a good friend because he knew about having serious past issues. While he didn't know exactly why Scott went to Horizon, he knew Scott had a torrid past that involved drugs and abuse. Like Daisy, Jeremy had alcoholic parents. Unlike Daisy, he had followed in their footsteps as early as thirteen. He was a recovering alcoholic though; nine years sober.

Scott immediately thought of Shelby. How could he not think of her? They had taken a "break" ten years ago. Scott was thirty-one now. They dated into college before Shelby said she needed a break. The reasons weren't the standard ones, and he knew she wasn't doing it as an excuse to leave him. She definitely didn't want to hurt him. However, she needed to discover who she was as an individual person. So much of her recovery involved Scott and being with him. They had become a crutch, and for better or worse, she thought they both needed to learn how to do things on their own and find strength in themselves. She wanted to see what life held for her now that she was learning to move on from her past.

Daisy also added that Scott needed to be less reliant on others fixing him. Daisy always felt Scott leaned too much on Shelby for emotional support, which took Shelby's energy away from her own recovery. He took more than he gave back. Shelby was now a social worker in the Pacific Northwest, while Daisy was a forensic scientist. Shelby and Daisy were still close. Shelby occasionally contacted him to see how he was doing.

A few hours later:

"Your former classmate Juliette will be at the party," Jeremy told Scott as they took the elevator to the building's roof. Scott found himself nervous and excited. He was happy to see someone from Horizon, but he hadn't spoken to her since they graduated. They had e-mailed each other their first year of college to check-in but eventually lost touch with each other.

The approaching twilight gave everything a soft, pastel lightening. The strands of lights added a soft glow. It put Scott at ease. He looked around for Juliette. He looked through the crowd a few times before finding her. Who he saw was not his Juliette though. His Juliette was young and adorable. This Juliette was alluring. Her long, straight hair framed her face, spilling over her laced covered shoulders. Her face was longer and thinner with pronounced cheekbones. He never noticed her eyes were green or how wide her mouth was until now. She was slender, yet had filled out some from high school. Having considered her the closest thing to a sister in high school, he felt guilty for admiring her beauty.

As if sensing his eyes on her, Juliette looked at him and gave him one of her huge smiles. "Scott, it is so good to see you again," she walked over giving him a firm hug. She smelled like roses, Scott noted. "Scott, I put you next to me at dinner, if it's alright with you? We have years of catching up to do." Without thinking Scott said, "We have two weeks to catch up. Hopefully, this won't be the only time we see each other."

After their work day ended, Juliette would pick him up and show him the area. She had been back in her hometown for five years and was an editor at a publishing company. She still saw a therapist a few times a year to make sure she stayed on track. As for her and Auggie, their differences had driven them apart. She still struggled with losing him, especially knowing he was married and had a baby. She had dated some, but wanted to learn to live on her own. She had always relied on others. Scott's chest tightened as this sounded similar to Shelby. Her mom lived in Laguna Beach. Juliette's therapist said her mom was probably a narcissist or had an undiagnosed personality disorder. "This whole time I thought I had the issues, but it was my mom who had the real problems," Juliette said one night over dinner.

"You're still lively and chipper, but you seem calmer too. More confident too. Not as hyper or perky as you were at Horizon," Scott told her.

"It wasn't real. It was all an act or at least most of it was. My perkiness was one of the best masks. Your moodiness kept people away. At least for a little bit, but more than anything it showed you were in pain and needed help. Mine repelled people. It hid how much pain I was in, but it got people to leave me alone. You showed how much pain you were in by the amount of anger. Peter knew the perkier I was the more pain I felt, but he couldn't gage the depth of it like he could the others. Although, I was moody and emotional at times too. Mostly when my mask became too heavy to wear."

Scott sat silently as he processed her words. She continued, "Everyone thought you and Shelby were alike, but you and I were the ones who had the most in common. We were both takers rather than givers in our relationships. We were both moody and emotional. However, you got away with it more. You threw a fit, and everyone coddled you because you were in pain. You were sensitive and wounded. I did something similar, and I was a spoiled, drama queen seeking attention. Double standards, "Juliette said nonchalantly. Any bitterness had been eroded due to her nature.

Scott excused himself and went to the bathroom. He really had been selfish. He was selfish long before his problems had started though. The stereotypical only child. At Horizon, he unintentionally acted as the world revolved around him…and Shelby, after she accidently entered his orbit. Daisy had told him a few times early on, but she had been harsh. More was gotten with honey than vinegar. When he returned, Juliette had paid the bill and was wearing her cream colored, suede jacket. Her dark hair braided into an intricate design. Her big eyes looking at him with concern. She looked like the Jules he remembered.

"Scott…"

"Please, don't apologize. I'm sorry you felt that way, but I'm glad to know now. Shelby probably left me for similar reasons."

They walked down the street some before Juliette gently took his hand and laced it through hers. "We all had good times together, and we all grew. It was really nice to see you again. It gives me a sort of comfortable familiarity, which is why we briefly dated in the first place. You made me feel normal," she whispered.

He stopped and looked at her. "I could use that comfortable familiarity again," he whispered back. She titled her head up and closed her eyes. Scott held her face in his hands and kissed her. They broke apart and smiled before kissing again.


	2. Chapter 2

Unexpected Familiarity

Ch. 2

I do not own Higher Ground, characters, or anything associated with the show.

I apologize for any technical mistakes.

Scott woke up feeling a sense of hope and a relief from a steady sadness. It worried him because was it all tied to uncertainty. A series of thoughts and feelings too jumbled to sort out at the moment. The initial hope was awoken by Juliette with her smile, lively warmth, and the lingering memory of her kisses the night before.

He felt guilty for not remembering what kissing her was like at Horizon. Their romantic relationship had been brief. When Shelby came unexpectedly into his life full force, everything before her seemingly disappeared. His secret didn't disappear, but it had become intertwined with his relationship with Shelby. She had known it and had been a relief from it. Juliette then became a distant memory, even while living in the same place with her.

As a result, the kisses with Juliette were new. Based on last night, he had a vague sense he had enjoyed them as a teenager though. Boy, could she kiss. He didn't know what to do from here. When he wasn't working or with her, he spent his time thinking. Today, he needed to think even more. When they had dated, he felt no attachment to her. She was more into him than he was into her. It made him feel awful thinking about it now. Had she harbored feelings for him all these years?

Juliette blamed herself for kissing Scott. She was mad at herself for hanging out with him this week. It was weak and foolish of her. She had let loneliness and a strong dose of familiarity get the best her. Maybe she did always have a weakness for him, especially physical attraction. However, she hadn't given him much thought over the past few years. Her love for Auggie and the pain associated with their breakup had shadowed her time at Horizon.

For years now, she was suspicious of her time with Auggie. Did he actually love her? Did he only pity her? Why couldn't he accept every aspect of her? Now, last night had tainted her memories of Scott, who had become a big brother figure to her. Was he using her like he did the first time? She was not going to get in the way of the inevitable reunion between him and his soul mate. She had learned her lesson the hard way. She was not going to make the same mistake again. She was going to make sure Scott knew where they stood. They were friends and nothing more.

 _To: Scott Barringer_

 _From: Juliette Waybourne_

 _Subject: Good-Bye_

 _Dear Scott,_

 _It was so nice to see you and catch up on your life. I hope your future business ventures go well. I assume you feel the way I do and let your loneliness get the best of you. I know I got caught up in the moment. It was nice having someone I knew around and knew a little about me. I hope I didn't confuse you. I know you and Jeremy will be leaving in three days. I will not be able to see you tomorrow, but maybe the three of us can have lunch the next day?_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Juliette_

Some may view it as melodramatic, but she viewed it as an efficient defense.

Scott felt both relief and rejection reading her e-mail. He decided Juliette was probably right about him being lonely and getting caught up in the comfort she offered. He associated her with Horizon and a familiar, if pained, past. He at least wanted to tell her goodbye.

The day of their luncheon, Juliette showed up in faded jeans and a navy, v-neck t-shirt. Her hair in a high ponytail. "A little causal for a nice restaurant?" Scott asked confused, although he thought she looked great.

"I've changed my mind. We're going to an amusement park!"

Scott laughed, "Well, I need to change then."

"Let Jeremy know too."

"Oh, he had to leave earlier. There was a work emergency."

"Is everything ok?" She was disappointed by the change but tried to hide it.

"Yeah, it'll be fine, especially when Jeremy gets there."

They put away any awkwardness and enjoyed the afternoon riding rides. Unbeknownst to Scott, Juliette had changed the activity just in case Jeremy couldn't go to lunch with them. Conversation often accompanied eating. Juliette also solved the awkward car ride by renting bikes. She'd rather bike for miles than be in a quiet car with Scott. It wasn't until late afternoon that Scott began to unintentionally close in on her. He insisted on using his rental car to bring the bikes back to the rental place. She had barely crammed them in her trunk and backseat. Afterwards, he was hungry again and saw a small tamale shack along a stretch of coastal highway he had taken.

They sat on the hood of the car and watched the last remaining daylight disappear. Juliette looked at Scott in the twilight and noticed it brought out the color of his eyes and hair. His hair had turned wheat gold as he gotten older and in certain lights a strong reddish gold could be seen in it. His light blue eyes paired well with evening's colors. His face was thinner and there was a ruggedness which wasn't there at Horizon, but he still looked boyish. He was slender but no longer gangly. This setting was too romantic. Had he planned it?

"This is my favorite time of day. It makes everything seem calmer and more relaxed, particularly with the ocean." The way he said it showed her he didn't plan it. He simply wanted to get away. They drove home, this time in comfortable silence.

"It was nice to see you again, Scott."

"Yeah, you too."

She reached for the door handle to get out when Scott said, "Wait."

"I wanted to tell you that besides being beautiful, you've become a confident, smart, funny, and caring woman. I'm glad to see you become what you were always capable of being. I'm proud of you," he told her.

Upon hearing these words, Juliette put a hand over her eyes and burst into tears. Scott was taken aback by her outburst. He quickly tried soothing her. She eventually gathered herself and took a deep breath to explain what happened.

"Scott, do you know what happened to me and Auggie?"

"I only know you two broke up due to culture differences."

"It's not in the way you think though. There were some major things that got in the way, so we decided to take a break and sort things out on our own. Auggie went back to Oakland to do some social work. He wanted to help kids from his neighborhood better themselves. He ran into his old girlfriend, who he dated before he was sent to Horizon. She heard he was in town and asked him to lunch as a thank you for being role model. After following his progress, she wanted to better her own life. She eventually went to a community college and became a medical technician. Long story short, they reconnected and married," Juliette explained with tears steadily rolling down her cheeks.

Scott sat in silence not knowing what to say. He just looked at her. He had been drowning in pain from his own break-up that he had no idea another Cliffhanger was drowning in her own sorrows.

"She gave him more than I could. I tried to be everything and more to make up for certain things, but I failed. Beauty, brains, accomplishments, caring, everything was useless. After being shattered yet again, I decided I wanted to live on my own, by myself. I would rather be alone than hurting. I am hopeful there is someone out there. Someone special. I'll know when I find him, but it won't be you. Shelby and you belong together, and I won't be in the cross fires again. I won't be the person who is always dismissed because I'm not one of the main characters," Juliette said robotically, seemingly devoid of emotion.

She got out of the car and made her way inside. Scott followed her. He didn't know if she still cut, and he had accidentally reopened a wound. She stopped inside the door, turned on the lights, and removed her shoes. As she moved through the living room to her bedroom, she removed her jeans, then her shirt, and finally her bra. Without exposing herself, she slid underneath the comforter. Scott walked to her bed and sat down on the edge. With her eyes closed and her dark hair splayed across her lilac colored sheets, she looked to be peacefully sleeping among purple flowers. Scott soothed her hair back from her face and kissed her forehead before going to sleep on the couch.

Scott thought a lot about Juliette over the next two months. He had kept up a light communication with her. She had made it clear it was to stay light. He also thought about Auggie and grew to resent him. Auggie didn't do anything wrong, he supposed, but he hurt Juliette. He betrayed her. Had he been outright unfaithful? Scott valued loyalty and honesty. Also, what obstacles had gotten in the way of their relationship?

Scott was called into his boss's office towards the end of the second month. The company decided to open the California branch in Pasadena. Since Scott was single and childless, they asked if he would move out there. He would be promoted. He mulled over it. His dad was in Washington, his mom in Arizona, and most of the Cliffhangers were on the West Coast. The thought he tried to suppress the most was the knowledge that Juliette was there. He agreed to it. He would move in a month.

"Hey, Scott," Jeremy greeted him at a pizza place for his last dinner in Chicago. "The publishing firm Juliette works at also has a PR section which is leased out by other companies. I talked to several people in PR and learned she was moving to it before she even knew. She and her group are assigned to our company, and you'll be working with them on it. I basically pulled some strings," Jeremy told him.

"How long has this been planned?"

"Oh, since I was called back from Pasadena," Jeremy smirked.

Scott eyed him suspiciously.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

I do not own Higher Ground, its characters, or anything else relating to the show.

Set-up for the rest of the story

Scott nervously rearranged everything in front of him waiting to meet the PR group for the first time. He was only to work with them a few hours a day, but they were based at his company for several months. Juliette came in first to set-up everything for the meeting. Neither said a word to each other but he sensed calmness from her, and it helped him relax. She wore a red pencil skirt, a white silk blouse, and a navy blue cardigan. He jerked back in surprise when a man made eye contact with him having caught Scott staring at her while she bent over the conference table.

"Scott, this is Mr. Yang. He's new to our company. Josh, this is Mr. Barringer. Scott and I went to high school together," she said as she introduced them.

Josh gave a friendly smile and expressed amazement how Scott and Juliette ended up working in the same place.

"Yes, it is quite amazing how it all worked out," she said with heavy skepticism.

They were both professionals and stayed in their roles when interacting. Occasionally, they would go out as a group for lunch or drinks, but both kept their distances. Despite limited personal interactions, they still were able to observe each other. Both noted the confident, intelligent in-put the other one offered to the group. They had long considered the other one dense, so it rather came as a surprise. Juliette's personable nature made her popular with the group and a spokesperson for his company. She smiled readily, encouraged others, and surprised them with coffee and treats. Although professional, she included him in her friendly warmth. Scott was driven, confident without the former cockiness, and had learned to be a team player.

It had been a few months since his move, and he had fallen into a routine: wake-up, work long hours, exercise, go home, sleep, repeat. On the weekends, he went to the beach occasionally and toured the area by himself but returned home before it got too late. Sometimes a feeling he couldn't pinpoint would overcome him though. For example, he would be putting mayo on his sandwich for dinner and would feel it. He'd stop and look around. Was it too quiet? No, the TV was on. Boredom? Loneliness? The feeling would pass and he'd realize he spread mayo all over the place.

The company's branch was flourishing under him. As Christmas time approached, he decided not to go anywhere. "Any plans for the holidays?" Josh asked the two of them in the elevator one day. Both replied they were staying in town. "Holidays are the worst time to see family," Jules stated.

Two days before Christmas, Juliette knocked on Scott's office door. She was hesitant, so Scott gave her a reassuring smile.

"I know you aren't going home for the holidays, so I may or may not have gotten you something. I hope you like coal," she smirked at the last part.

"Haha, funny. And thank you. I…uh, got you something too. For similar reasons."

"You did?" She asked shyly. They quickly exchanged gifts, trying not to make a big deal about it. Scott got a bottle of nice Napa Valley wine and Stormtrooper cuff links. Juliette received a spa package. They hugged awkwardly and went back to work.

On Christmas morning, Scott heard a Selena song playing from Juliette's cubicle. "What are you doing at work?" he asked, seeing her at her desk.

"Should I go the 'touche' route and point out you're here too."

"I think you just did. I had nowhere better to be, so why not?"

"Well, Merry Christmas. Would you like to work with me?"

Three hours later they went to a diner for an early lunch. She asked if he had done anything fun or met new people.

"Gone to the beach a few times. Traveled some. Not a fan of LA," he told her.

"Meet any nice women? Lots of women at the company are interested."

"Not really. Leslie's cute though."

"Eh, she likes me."

"Hmmmm…."

"Get your head out of the gutter, meat!"

Both burst out laughing. Part of a wall had fallen, and they started to reminisce about old times. They talked about trying to secure presents for the Cliffhangers during Christmas time. Scott had liked her scrapbook idea. She made small, personalized ones for each Cliffhanger. Jules liked the book he had made for Shelby one year. It was a journal he wrote in everyday for a year chronicling their relationship and his thoughts about her.

Scott told about the time Ezra and he helped Auggie confront Abe. Poor Ezra! She should have seen the look of terror on Ezra's face. He jokingly blamed her since she had asked him to intervene. He teased, "I should have known it was over when you asked me to fight gang members for another guy." "I didn't want you, yet I didn't want Shelby to win either. I figured no one could have you if you were finished off," she teased back. He threw a sugar packet at her. She then told her side of the fight with Shelby. It was funny looking back on it now.

She became serious and told him since it was Christmas she wanted to say it was nice working with him. He was someone who knew a little about her past and didn't judge her. He had changed a lot, yet remained the same in certain ways.

They soon parted to go home. As he watched her drive away, there was that sense of hope again. He suddenly realized what those random feelings were now. He missed her. When the workday ended and she left, he felt a void. It was only for her. He took comfort seeing her, watching her, spending time with her. He could recognize her laughter from down the hall; it rang out like soft bells, and he could picture the huge grin on her face.

He should have expected it, he supposed. It was going into the ocean and eventually noticing you had moved from the original point of entry. It wasn't painful or very noticeable, but it could be startling depending on how far you moved before you noticed it. He had moved farther than he had thought. What happened from here? Did Juliette feel the same way? What about Shelby?

After days of mental anguish, Scott lounged on his couch with his Napa wine waiting to watch the New Year Ball drop in Times Square. At 11 o'clock, Scott decided in his wine induced state to bike to Jules' place to see if she wanted company. It wasn't far. In his sloshed state, he wasn't sure of his expectations, but he was genuinely concerned she would be lonely as she had been for Christmas.

Several cuts and bruises later, Scott arrived at her place, but she wasn't there. She had probably gone out with friends or with a guy because she had a life unlike him. Self pity, a weakness for Scott, overwhelmed him until fireworks from a nearby park broke his thoughts. His year started with a pounding headache and a heavy heart among other things. After sobering up, he inspected his cuts. How many times had he fallen off his bike? He started laughing to himself at the absurdity of it all. It was absurd! Here he was showing up unexpectedly at a woman's home regardless of it being Jules.

As if summoned by magic, Juliette suddenly appeared before him. She held up a bag of Chinese food. It turned out she had the same idea as him and picked up some take-out along the way to his flat. She waited a while there but began to feel stupid over the whole thing and left. He sat on the edge of the bath tub while she cleaned his cuts. She had worn a gold, sequined dress for the heck of it but changed into leggings and a sweatshirt-the blue one worn by the Cliffhangers when they played football against the actors. He was amazed she had kept it.

Seeing the sweatshirt brought back painful memories for him though. When she saw the look on his face and voiced her concern, he told her about CPS coming around the time of the filming and football game. She quickly removed it to reveal a tank top under it. Scott noticed faint traces of scars on her upper, inner arms. Seeing the evidence of her past pains, he told her about the things that led him to Horizon. She listened quietly. They were silent several seconds before she put her arms around his shoulders and kissed his forehead. He gave her a look she couldn't read. He gently took her arm and placed a soft kiss on the scar tissue. She gave him a huge smile and rested her forehead on his. Then, they ate and watched a movie. It was anti-climatic; no fighting, no crying, or lovemaking. Nothing resolved, but it was exactly what they both needed.

Note: This chapter is filler. Before I get to the main plot points, I wanted to show them developing feelings for each other. Shelby and Auggie will be factored into the story.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

I do not own Higher Ground or anything related to it. Italics represent flashbacks.

 _Juliette watched Scott take Shelby's tray and carry it to the table for her. They sat down next to each other. As Shelby sat down, some hair tucked behind her ear fell in front of her face. Scott tucked the runaway strand back behind her ear. They exchanged knowing glances and smirked at each other. Juliette could tell they were holding hands underneath the table. She swallowed hard trying to fight back the tears she could feel building in her eyes. Scott had never looked at her in that way. He never treated her with such consideration. She felt worthless. He treated her condescendingly and as a possessive person would treat a fragile, worthless person…_

 _Yes, she had kissed Auggie. He had made her feel important and needed, so she kissed him back. He had wanted her. She knew Scott didn't really care about her, and the knowledge was made worse by him doing all the things she had wanted to Shelby. He could care, but he didn't where she was concerned. She had tried to apologize for Auggie, but he disregarded her apologies. Being oppressed by her mother meant Juliette didn't have very many social skills. In her attempt to win Scott's approval and forgiveness, she made things worse. She sunk in his eyes. She was pathetic and desperate. It was not about Scott. It never was about him. It was what he represented._

Juliette looked out into the night. She was leaving for a ski trip in the morning, but unpleasant memories woke her up and morphed into a panic attack.

She knew she was going to have to tell Scott why she and Auggie broke up soon. He had feelings for her, so she felt he deserved to know. After he found out and left her alone, she would work on reuniting him and Shelby. Hers wasn't a deep, dark secret. The reason at least wasn't dark. Others dealt with her problem too. Scott would probably be surprised by the number of men's beds she sought solace in though, and the fact she was good behind closed doors too. Auggie and the others had seen potential and taught her how to unleash it. She had fought the pain by allowing moments of ecstasy where she could release the pain, anger, and be whatever she wanted to be at the time. It had left her empty and in more pain by the time she slowed down enough to face reality.

After looking out the window for what seemed hours, she must have drifted back to sleep because beating on her door caused her to jolt awake.

"You had me so worried," Scott sighed with relief, "You didn't come out to meet us. You didn't answer when I knocked, so I started banging." Scott noticed the purple bags under her eyes, and her hair was tossed everywhere. He automatically reached to smooth back her hair. She dodged his hands. "I didn't sleep well," she answered.

She was growing angry from his presence. It wasn't him though but memories of Horizon Scott from the night. Scott saw the scowl on her face. She suddenly seemed mad. Josh jogged up the steps; "Whoa! Gorgeous, you need coffee. Brett and I are going to run to this stand and get you some powerful stuff. Names called Heartbeat Danger." Scott sat on the couch while Juliette gathered some last minute stuff for the trip. It was still dark out, but they had a trek before them. "Are you alright?" Scott asked, now leaning in the doorway. She looked at his concerned eyes. It was almost as if they were caressing her. At one point, she wanted him to look lovingly at her. Now, she wanted to punch him in those eyes.

"Yeah. Just tired."

"Is that all you're bringing? I'm impressed. I thought it'd be more."

"What?! Were you expecting me to bring four or five bags? Be a shallow, princess?!" she turned on him.

He threw his hands up in defense; "No! Don't take it the wrong way."

She started getting ready again. It had been a week since New Year's, and they hadn't been able to talk about that night. Scott had wanted to talk in person. Perceiving this, she avoided him like he had the plague. She became fast friends with Josh and his husband, Brett. Josh had also become friends with Scott. She had a hunch Josh was trying to play matchmaker with this trip.

"I wanted to say thank you for listening to my old issues. I still rarely tell anyone about them. I haven't had anyone to talk to since Shelby," he told her.

She tensed up at Shelby's name. She was Shelby's replacement. Juliette sensed Scott move and stop by her. She looked up and saw him looking at her. "Are you going to tell me I'm beautiful and kiss me?" she dryly asked. She had heard Shelby tell Daisy about her and Scott's first romantic moment in the woods. They didn't know Juliette was sitting in the shower trying to fight an inner turmoil after one of her mother's letters.

She continued looking him in the eye," I'm messed up in new ways. I'm broken and useless. I hide it well. I thought you were temporary, so it was easy to look fine. I know your game. You played it with Shelby. You tell about your issues, and then expect the same in return. You'll pry, poke, and prod. You act gentle and loving in an attempt to break the walls down. You'll eventually run though. "

Scott learned from his experience with Shelby that Juliette's verbal lashing was a self-defense mechanism; "That's quite a verbal lashing."

"I have my mother's blood coursing through my veins, unfortunately." She paused before giving one last punch; "I love how you acted like you knew me so well when I ran away. I love how you used to play the victim when called out on your behavior. If you had dated yourself when you arrived at Horizon, you would've kissed Auggie too! I also know you didn't fight Auggie's brother and friend on my account. You wanted drugs. There, I'm done!"

Scott took it but it hurt. It was all true. He also realized what she was doing. If she thought poorly of him, then she could convince herself to not develop feelings for him, or get rid of the ones she had already. He also figured she was scared of Shelby and his relationship; former relationship. What he didn't know was Juliette was trying to make herself look bad so Scott would look elsewhere for companionship.

He grabbed her hand and looked at her. Her eyes were dark green this morning. How could little Juliette have grown into this woman?

Brett popped his head in the apartment, "We have your over caffeinated heart condition. Ready to go?"

If anyone reads this far, I am approaching the main point soon. This is a short chapter. I plan on seeing this story to the end. I don't care if no one else reads it. I'm a new writer, and writing has been a stress reliever.


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Higher Ground, its characters, or anything else related to the show. I apologize for any medical or timeline mistakes.

Ch. 5

The snow had stopped falling, although the sky was getting grayer. Juliette surveyed the landscape. There was complete silence and a blanketing of snow. She felt a twinge of peace before relapsing into suffocating worry. She had asked Scott to meet her at a viewing point. She saw him lumber up the incline. He looked like young Scott in his heavy layers and hair tucked under a warm hat. A grin lit up his face when he saw her. "He has such a wonderful smile," she thought.

"Hey, are you feeling better?" Scott asked. Juliette had been unusually quiet the past two days.

"I'm fine…I will be fine. Scott, I want to tell you what happened between Auggie and myself."

It was spoken softly and her eyes had a sadness to them. Scott saw they were light green. He liked that her eyes changed from dark to light. He imagined he had figured out what color they would be based on her mood. Worry was one mood he associated with the lighter green color.

"You don't have to tell me," he told her. He sat beside her on a bench. "We can't sit long, or we'll freeze. We can walk down the slope in a few minutes," she told him, giving him a slight smile. He was overcome with warmth towards her. Her eyes stood out brightly against her alabaster skin and dark braid hanging over her shoulder. The rest of her hair was under a black snow cap.

"Scott Barringer, I…you have feelings for me, and it's only fair for you to know one reason why I keep you at arm's length," she paused. She stood up and said to the universe more than to him, "I never thought in my wildest dreams I'd be here with Scott Barringer. Why?"

She was looking out into the open. Scott slid his hand around hers as an act of comfort. "Where do I even start?" she asked herself.

 **Auggie's Parent's House: Auggie is 25 yrs. old and Juliette just turned 24**

"Hey, Jules. My parents want to speak to us inside." Juliette excused herself from an older woman who was helping her with her Spanish. They were at a cookout for a cousin's high school graduation.

They sat at a table across from his parents. An aunt went around pouring coffee for them.

"Auggie and Juliette, we are not trying to put pressure on you, but we want to know where you two are concerning marriage. Are you two discussing it?" his mom asked.

"Ah, mom," Auggie shook his head in annoyance.

"Augusto, don't act that way with your madre," his aunt scolded him.

"You two have been together for a while. Is Juliette's mother not allowing it?" his mother continued.

"No, no. After all this time, my mom wants me to marry him too," Juliette told his parents. Her mother constantly reminded her she was aging and still unmarried. Her mother wanted her to "get it over with" and marry Auggie.

"We would like you to be married before you have kids. We do not like that you are living together," his father said.

They drove home in silence thinking about their conversation with Auggie's parents. Auggie wanted to marry Jules. He didn't have the money for a wedding or the lifestyle he thought Jules deserved. His dyslexia made finishing college difficult. He was trying to be a social worker with future plans in law school to help migrant workers. He didn't want to be the next Cesar Chavez, but he wanted to help them. His parents suggested he be an interpreter.

Juliette's mother did not support her relationship with Auggie. Juliette was fine losing what little affection or attention her mother had for her. She had Auggie and it was enough. She worked as a secretary at an accounting firm. Having a major in fashion design didn't help in a time of economic downturn. They weren't well off, but they were comfortable where they were in life. However, there was something she suppressed every time it came up in her thoughts. In her mind, if she didn't get a definite answer, then it couldn't be real. Ignorance was bliss. After conversing with Auggie's parents though, she felt a strong urge to know. It was time.

 **Two Weeks Later:**

Juliette waited to be called into the gynecologist's office to go over her test results. Her knuckles were white from nervously twisting her purse straps around her hands.

"Ms. Waybourne? Please follow me."

After formalities, the doctor explained to Juliette that years of bulimia, starting from an early age, had damaged her body. It drastically hurt her fertility. She would not be able to get pregnant without help from a fertility specialist. Even then, it might not help. The chances of getting pregnant were not high. The best thing she could do was seek help for her bulimia and prevent any further damage.

Auggie didn't even know she still struggled with it. It was more sporadic, but it still happened, especially after visiting their families. Her mother still asked about her weight and food was a huge part of socializing for Auggie's family. She was torn between the white beauty standard of being thin and the Hispanic beauty standard of having curves.

Her insecurities had taken on a new form. She preferred the Hispanic version of beauty, but she found it even harder to achieve. She didn't get curves in the right places. Her breasts weren't big enough. Although not thin, her mouth was too wide for her lips to look lushly plump. Her skin didn't have a bronze glow. Her eyes weren't soft, dark brown. Auggie got after her when she lamented these things. He told her Hispanics came in many different looks.

Now, she was going to have to tell Auggie her secret struggles. He was upset about her relapses with bulimia. He was also shocked about her infertility issues. He never realized the extent bulimia did on the body. He felt he had failed her. However, he loved her and wanted to help. He found a therapist for her bulimia, but then, her insurance wouldn't pay for it. It fell under mental health, which her insurance didn't cover. She couldn't afford to pay out of pocket, and she knew her mother wouldn't help.

She got a second opinion from another gynecologist who confirmed what her doctor said. They quickly learned fertility clinics were expensive and neither one could afford it. They decided they would get engaged and have Jules enroll in catechism classes, so she could convert to Catholicism. Lastly, they decided to try having baby on their own. Fear made them want to try for a baby before marriage since they didn't know how long it might take. She went off birth control and read books on alternative ways to increase fertility. She tracked her ovulation, and they adopted a healthier lifestyle with regular sleep, healthy foods, no alcohol, and no smoking on his part.

The whole time they kept these things to themselves. They didn't tell their family, very little of their friends knew, and no one from the Cliffhangers knew of their struggles. Auggie kept up a light communication with the guys, but they both felt it was a private matter. Juliette hadn't been close enough with the girls to seek comfort from them. Auggie suggested she ask Sophie for advice. In a strange way, she didn't want to ask Sophie. The other Cliffhangers were close to Sophie and Peter. At some point, Juliette accepted she wasn't close to either of them. She admired them, but she didn't view them as a lifesaving force the way the others did. Their focus had been on Scott, Shelby, Daisy, and Jess, so Auggie wasn't close to Peter and Sophie either.

 **14 months later:**

Over a year later, they were frustrated, angry, and confused. A doctor told them they needed to face the possibility of not having kids and work on creating a life without them. In time, they might be able to get help. They could apply for a loan or grant to help with the cost. The doctor gave them information for a support group. Auggie and Juliette were devastated. They tried the best they could, yet…Their relationship changed as a result. Their passion and joy had been replaced with routine, scheduled duty. Determination was replaced with defeat. She spent days in bed, and as a result, she was fired from work. Auggie suggested she go on medication for depression. She went on depression medication for three months before quitting because she felt better.

A month after her last doctor's visit, she was plagued by new a fear. She was terrified Auggie would leave her. She knew he wanted kids. No, he expected kids. One thing their vastly different backgrounds had in common was a conservative expectation of getting married and having kids. Both were expected without question in their circles, even if one didn't actually want them. However, it was something both of them wanted since they were young. Despite Auggie's rough teenage years, he envisioned his future self with a job, a sweet, caring wife, and two or three kids. Of course, he didn't dare mention it in his neighborhood or at Horizon. Even gang members had children though. They also usually had a love interest and a mother waiting for a legitimate daughter-in-law. Some did have wives.

Juliette had her wedding planned from an early age. She also had a list of baby names for her future children. Every time Juliette had a crush on someone, she pictured her wedding to that person, their ideal married life, and imagined what their kids might look like. She even did it with Scott. The older she got the more her fantasies became an actual yearning. She loved nurturing and caring for others, even if she was awkward and pushy when she was younger. What better way to share that love than with a child? Now, she and Auggie were being told to move on and to change all their hopes and dreams.

She decided she'd make up for not being able to have children. It was her fault after all. She could blame her mother, but she had abused her body. Why couldn't foresight or her desire for children have prevented her from self-harm? She became a personal assistant for a boutique owner, she continued eating healthy and exercising, and she made sure Auggie was happy, especially in the bedroom. She supported and encouraged him in all he did and became involved in his interests and work. She also took up interests to better herself such as Latin dance and cooking classes.

Auggie started traveling for work. While he was gone, Juliette helped at an art gallery, acted in a local play, volunteered at a hospital, anything to distract herself. She remembered how she considered being a nurse, but her mother told her it was what middle class did when they wanted to move up in society. A college classmate who wanted to attend medical school told her she wasn't smart enough for the medical field. These failings pushed her to be more than the shallow, pretty princess people assumed her to be. She wanted to be the type of woman Auggie would be proud to have by his side. Not the barren, useless, insecure wreck she felt she was.

When Auggie returned home, Juliette welcomed him back in fun, elaborate ways. He enjoyed walking into a room full of flowers with Jules wearing only flowers in her long hair. He was content, but he couldn't shake off the knowledge he might not have children if he stayed with Jules. Yet he loved her so much. His parents asked him to visit them one weekend. He knew he was going to have to tell them why he and Jules weren't married yet.

Juliette noticed a change in Auggie after he came back from his visiting his parents. There was sadness in his smiles when she did something to please him. There was also pity in his eyes. Once again, she suppressed the meaning of those smiles. One day, he told her he was going to move back to Oakland for three months. He wasn't abandoning her, but they both needed to process things on their own rather than rely on each other. They had to figure out exactly what they wanted without having the other one there influencing their decision. He said it would make her stronger and their future clearer.

She held it together better than he expected…until the night before he left. She begged him to stay. She got on her knees, latched onto his legs, and begged through sobs for him to stay. He held her, kissed her, and passionately embraced her most of the night. They both worried it was the last time they would be together. Afterwards, Auggie wondered if he could bring himself to leave her.

 **Two Months after Auggie's Move to Oakland**

On his last visit to her, Auggie told Juliette he was going to stay in Oakland an additional 3 months. He said on his next visit they'd discuss whether to stay together or not. He had gotten a new job that he loved, and it paid well. He didn't mention to Jules he lunched with his ex-girlfriend or ran into her at some neighborhood events.

Juliette was furious. Auggie lived a mere two hours away, yet he wasn't going to visit her for months. He was forcing her to put her life on hold, so he could figure things. She already knew her answer. She loved him so much. She was sure he was leading her on because he didn't want to hurt her. He was already hurting her though. Juliette's self-worth was completely tied to Auggie and their relationship. Without his love and reassurance, she was slowly unraveling.

 **Four Months Later:**

Auggie eventually heard through old friends about Juliette's partying lifestyle. He also learned about the three or four men she dated in the short four months of their separation. Anger had always been a problem for him, and it was flaring when he heard about Juliette's behavior. He felt betrayed. Three or four men weren't a lot in the grand scheme of human behavior, but it was a lot for someone like Juliette. Auggie had been the only person she had been with until that point.

Juliette wasn't in the mood to go out dancing this week. She never cared for alcohol, but she loved dancing. She loved the attention and admiration it got her. It gave her a semblance of self-worth. However, Auggie's next visit was near, and she recently ended things with Jason. Not that she expected her relationship with Auggie to continue…or start up again. She wasn't sure if she and Auggie had officially broken up, but she knew it was over. Yet, she broke up with Jason in the small hope Auggie would still want her.

She was surprised when she opened the door to find Auggie there. She saw he was fuming. She sat on the couch with her chin tucked in and tears streaming down her face as she listened to Auggie's angry tirade about her recent behavior. He couldn't date her anymore after she disregarded their relationship by dating other men. In a fit of anger, he told her she needed to grow up and that he didn't want to be with someone who turned into an emotional basket case when things didn't go her way.

She suddenly stopped crying. He had just emotionally bullied her. Juliette looked up at him; "Are you using my behavior as an excuse or justification for your decision? You weren't coming back, but my behavior gives you an out without making you the bad guy."

She had never seen him cry until now. He cried and hugged her tightly; "I'm sorry, Jules. I'm so sorry. For yelling at you. I'm angrier with myself for being so weak and not telling you the truth. I want children, Jules." He kissed her on the cheek and soon left her apartment.

A month of partying on the weekends and after work was catching up with Juliette. She leaned over the toilette one more time to make sure she was done throwing up all the shots she had at the club. She walked to her bed and shook what's-his-name awake. She wanted him gone, so she could sleep off the hangover. She was drifting off to sleep when she received a text from a friend. The text read, " _Look who I saw in San Francisco. This loser."_ It was followed by a picture of Auggie with a Hispanic woman. She couldn't see the woman's face, but Auggie smiled radiantly at her. The way he used to smile at her. It was the last straw for her.

After reading the text, Juliette's mood became destructive. She wanted to destroy everything associated with Auggie. The life they built together needed to be erased, so she started destroying everything in her apartment. She rarely lived there anyway. The neighbors called the cops due to the noise.

The cops banged on the door until Juliette opened it. The cops immediately noticed blood streaming down her arms. Behind her, the apartment was littered with broken dishes and destroyed furniture. Her waist long hair, which her mother said was one of her best features, was now haphazardly cut to her chin. She was sent to the psych ward where she spent two days being evaluated. Despite their initial diagnosis, she wasn't bipolar nor was any other mental condition detected other than depression. The doctors determined the behavior was mostly fueled by depression, alcohol, and tiredness. They also learned of her history with cutting and bulimia, so they decided to send her to a rehab clinic for a month.

Her dad and her former stepfather, Hal Rowe, paid for her to stay at a nice facility. They both came by to visit her as well. Her father apologized for not being a better father and for not protecting her from her mother's abuse. He felt partly responsible for her issues. He wanted her to move back to Pasadena where he and Hal would help get her life back on track. They would also help her start saving for fertility treatments and possibly a surrogate mother.

She thought about her breakdown and everything leading to it. She finally allowed herself to face the ugly reality of it all. Her old way of dealing with pain was comparable to a faulty levee, or flood barrier. The pain was seemingly blocked, but instead, it steadily seeped through until it wore the levee away and flooded everything on the other side. This time, she allowed the pain to hit her full force. To her surprise, she found it receded quicker after the initial onslaught of pain. As for the subject people tiptoed around, she always intended to live. She was just desperately trying to find a better way of living.

During her last week at the clinic, Sophie showed up after being contacted by Juliette's father. As soon as Jules opened the door, Sophie enveloped her in a hug. "Why didn't you come to me, Juliette?" she asked, tears in her bright blue eyes. Sophie convinced Juliette to stay a week at Horizon before moving to southern California. Peter helped her dad find a therapist in Pasadena.

Juliette spent a week helping Peter and Sophie with students at Horizon. She was worried they would view her as a princess like her classmates had done, but she had a calm, confident attitude several of the students appreciated. She ended up staying two more weeks. The people at the clinic, her new therapist, Peter and Sophie, along with her father helped her come to terms with her past and her relationship with Auggie. They helped her find self-worth in various things outside of others' views and expectations of her.

She worked on loving herself. She wanted to know who she was as a person. She was adaptable, personable, and could absorb the environment around her. These things allowed her to be easily manipulated or influenced by others, so she learned to think for herself and decide what she wanted to learn from others. She still wanted to please others because she enjoyed making others happy but to a much lesser extent. For the first time in her life, she felt she was truly recovering.

It had been years since her breakdown. She was content and at peace, even if it was paired with caution and wariness. She monitored her emotions so they wouldn't get out of control again. She was lonely at times and still wanted children, but she learned there was more to life than those two things. She figured she would eventually marry an older man who already had children. She'd be happy to be a stepmother.

She didn't know if Auggie heard about her breakdown. He hadn't contacted her since he left, and she was ok with it. She had changed her number and media accounts anyway. Peter and Sophie kept everything to themselves. Her mother was too embarrassed to share her daughter's past with anyone. For better or worse, Juliette cut ties with everyone in her former area. She wanted a new beginning.

As for Scott, well, she was falling in love with him. However, she didn't want anything to develop between them. He belonged married to Shelby with beautiful blond, blue eyed children. She had accepted this foreseeable outcome as well.

 **Present:**

Juliette and Scott made their way down the slope and were now sitting by a fire pit in front of the ski resort. When Juliette finished, they sat in silence for several minutes while Scott processed everything she told him. Daisy once told him he was too wrapped up in his own issues to see anyone else's damage. He regretted not keeping in touch with the other Cliffhangers. If he had, perhaps he could've helped Jules. He suddenly thought of Charlotte and Leslie and how much pain he caused them.

He looked over at Juliette across the fire. She looked stoic against the dying glow of the fire. Her eyes met his. Scott walked over to her and pulled her into a long hug. He pulled back and looked at her. What was there to say to her she hadn't heard before. She was stronger than anyone had given her credit for, and she was a fighter.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

I do not own Higher Ground, its characters, or anything else relating to it.

Italics represent flashback or text message.

 _Scott anxiously waited for Shelby's arrival. Leslie had left 6 months ago, and he felt guilty for having little remorse over it. He convinced Shelby to come visit Chicago during the summer when the wind wasn't partnered with the cold, wet winter. Shelby came out of the airport in a navy blue tank top and light pink jeans. Scott was always taken back by her beauty as if he was seeing her for the first time. She nervously smirked at him and gave him a firm hug. At 25 years old, her face had matured with her big, blue eyes standing out in stark contrast to flushed cheeks and shimmery, blond hair._

Juliette and Scott sat up late into the night discussing their lives and the plans they created but didn't see come to reality.

 _Scott came back to an empty apartment. Leslie had packed all of her things and left. There were difficulties the last two months of their five month relationship. She was the first woman he dated since Shelby and he dove in quickly and hard, or so he thought._

 _Leslie was a senior art major at a local university. He admired her free-spirited, artistic personality. She briefly made him feel alive, and he got caught up in a passionate, whirlwind romance._

 _She left without a word one day, but he wasn't surprised. An envelope was sitting on a table. It read,_

 _Dear Scott,_

 _I tried hard to make you love me. I thought you did when we first met. It's clear you still love Shelby. I won't be second best._

 _Regretfully Yours,_

 _Leslie_

Guilt dominated Scott when he thought of Leslie, but it was Charlotte who he had hurt the most. Sweet Charlotte.

 _Personality wise, Charlotte was similar to Juliette. She and Scott were both 27 at the time. She worked in human resource at a children's hospital. She loved nothing more than to visit children and brighten their day when she could. After a year, they talked about marriage, and every holiday Charlotte anticipated being proposed to in some romantic way._

 _Charlotte's usually styled blond hair was hanging limp from the rain. Her brown eyes filled with tears as she stood in front of the moving truck._

 _"_ _Charlotte, I'm sorry."_

 _"_ _Promise me you'll never be with another woman if you can't give her your absolute love and devotion? No one deserves the pain of realizing they don't have it," Charlotte choked out, tears blending in with the rain._

Scott was hesitant to admit Shelby inadvertently was the reason for his relationship failures. He hadn't seriously dated anyone since Charlotte. The best thing for him, others, and for Charlotte's memory was to be single. It had been easy until Juliette came along. He thought of Shelby less and less and Juliette more and more. His feelings for Jules hadn't been tested though. He wondered what his feelings would be for her if Shelby reappeared in his life. He wasn't exactly sure who he'd choose, but his feelings for Jules were real. They wouldn't be put aside easily. He used the term "feelings", but it more than feeling infatuated. It was a knowing. He knew Juliette as a fully realized being. He saw her in a way he hadn't when they were younger.

Now, a new element was added to his knowledge by the revelation of her fertility issues and breakdown. It made her more real. Sitting there with her glass of warm wine, she looked regal. Without her smile, her facial structure lent itself to being handsome and dignified. He was almost intimidated by someone who had been through the fire and come out stronger. Shelby had and he admired her for it, but this was Juliette. As he studied her, she got up and kissed him goodnight on the cheek.

A burden had been lifted, and Juliette was her charming self for the rest of the trip. She relieved herself of a hidden burden. What he did with the knowledge was up to him, but she suspected it effectively ended his feelings for her. She was saddened by this loss but resolved to go on with her life as normal.

He thought about Juliette's fertility issues. Besides the threat of Shelby, this was a huge concern for her. He was at the age where many men were settling down and having children. Children were something he expected to have, not really wanted. As Juliette pointed out, he assumed he'd have kids because it's what people did. They followed a chronological timeline of societal expectations. Those who didn't follow it were rebels or outside the mainstream. Many people overlooked medical problems as a reason for people not having kids.

Of course, he envisioned him and Shelby with kids. Blond, blue eyed angels who looked like their mother. He never viewed children as individual human beings though. Children were visual products of love and commitment. He loved his imaginary children only because they were Shelby's.

Did couples who couldn't or didn't have children love each other any less? Peter and Sophie had proven otherwise. Peter and Sophie was parents to many non-biological children. If Scott had kids, he'd love them, but he didn't feel a yearning or desire to have them. He never really had. Would he still feel this way in ten years? Knowing Jules wanted them made him sad. Knowing Auggie wanted them so much he left Jules upset him too.

He decided he wouldn't pursue Juliette until he knew exactly what he wanted. He respected Juliette's desire for him to keep his distance and limit their interaction. He missed her though and thought about her often. Things he saw or did reminded him of her. These were times when he desperately wanted to call and hear her voice. He wondered how long he could do this before he lost his mind.

In late February, one of the company's CEOs, Mr. Henderson, called Scott from Chicago. He and Jeremy were flying into San Francisco for the week and wanted him there too. The company didn't burn bridges, so people in San Francisco still wanted to do business with the Pasadena branch. Mr. Henderson requested Scott bring Juliette with him. Everyone would fly into San Francisco on Friday.

The main branch wanted to offer Juliette a job at the Pasadena branch. They saw her name on several reports and saw her in the company's publicity pictures. They wanted her to be a PR representative for them. Juliette was open to it and agreed to go with Scott.

At the airport, he was sure her face brightened on seeing him, and he savored her jumping into his arms for a hug. Based on her reactions, he hoped she missed him half as much as he missed her. It took all his will power not to kiss her with happiness at being able to spend another week with her.

Mr. Henderson was a typical businessman. He was a nice looking 47 year old man. "Ms. Waybourne, pictures do not do you justice," he said giving her a firm handshake and megawatt smile.

Once settled into their hotel rooms, Mr. Henderson invited them to an Italian bistro. Jeremy and Scott lagged behind Jules and Mr. Henderson with Scott vaguely answering questions about him and Juliette. Mr. Henderson and Jules hit off immediately. Scott was jealous and remembered how she thought she'd probably marry an older man.

At the restaurant, Scott received a text from Auggie of all people.

 _Hey, meat. I saw on your media accounts you're in San Francisco this week. We ought to get together and catch up._

 _I don't know if I'll have time._

 _You can't work the whole the time, meat._

Mr. Henderson wanted to discuss the business offer with Juliette over dinner. "You two are hitting it off," Scott said as she was getting ready the next night. "Oh, please Scott. He's a businessman cliche. Besides, he's dating a news reporter named Rebecca Bellini," she stated. Rebecca Bellini was a well-known news reporter in the Chicago area. Relief came over Scott, and he relaxed on her hotel couch.

"Too much?" Juliette asked, stepping out of the bathroom. The dress was simple, dark red with long sleeves. It stopped right above her knee but was formfitting. "No. It looks nice," he said. "Great! I'll go light on the make-up and put my hair in a low bun," she said going back into the bathroom.

Scott stood in the doorway watching her get ready. She was nervous but excited, while he was torn. Part of him wanted her to work with him. He might even be her boss. The other part of him, the selfish part, didn't want to see her everyday if he couldn't be with her romantically. Ultimately, it was her decision, and he wanted the best for her. She deserved to be happy. She was a capable, independent woman and would make a great addition to the company.

"Jules, I have something to tell you. Tonight, I'm going out for drinks with Jeremy and Auggie. I hope you don't mind?"

"Scott, you don't need my permission to see Auggie. You're an adult, and he's your friend."

"I know, but I want to be considerate of your feelings. My loyalties are with you."

"You don't have to have loyalties. He didn't do anything wrong. Our relationship ran its course and ended."

"If it bothers you, I'd hope you tell me. And tomorrow I'd like to hear what Mr. Henderson said about the job offer." She only smiled reassuringly at him and grabbed her purse.

Once in the elevator, Juliette looked tense, so Scott unconsciously rubbed her upper back. She relaxed at his touch and briefly leaned into him before the elevator stopped. "Have fun, princess," he whispered into her ear. She grinned and squeezed his hand goodbye.

"Yo, meat. Long time, no see,"Auggie greeted him warmly. Auggie was still lean and muscular. His black hair was almost to his shoulders and his cheekbones were sharper than they had been at Horizon. Always on the friendly side, he got along easily with Jeremy. Scott tried to be at ease with Auggie too. Scott couldn't look at him without thinking of Juliette, so it made him uncomfortable in Auggie's presence.

Auggie talked about his wife and two year old son and showed them pictures. Scott felt resentment on Juliette's behalf listening to Auggie talk about his job and family with pride. Soon enough, Auggie asked Scott about his life. Scott gave him a generic run-down about his job and relationship status with Shelby. He wondered if he should mention Jules, but Jeremy beat him to it. Jeremy thought he was setting up a mini high school reunion by discussing Juliette. He told Auggie how she had worked with the company and was now considering working for them.

Auggie looked surprised. "Meat, why didn't you tell me you worked with Jules?" he asked.

"I didn't think it was important," Scott said casually, trying to down play it and redirect the topic.

Auggie's was interested now though; "That is an important detail. How is she doing? I didn't know she moved back to Pasadena. I tried contacting her a while back but with no luck. Even tried through Peter and Sophie, but they said it was against confidentiality. Is she doing well? Married?"

"She's great! Beautiful, smart, caring, etc. The company hopes to get her. She's discussing business nearby, actually. She must be the career type since she's still single, but we're working on it…" Jeremy answered until Scott kicked him under the table. Jeremy got the message. "Yeah, that about sums it," Jeremy abruptly finished.

"She's here? In San Francisco?" Auggie asked, still focusing on Juliette.

Enough was enough. Scott jumped off the stool, grabbed Jeremy, and went to the karaoke stage. Desperate times called for desperate measures. He and Jeremy learned doing karaoke in front of clients put them at ease. It showed them Scott and Jeremy could be fun and laid-back. They did it sober since Jeremy only drank soda, and Scott was a professional. The two men had a karaoke routine.

After their ridiculous singing and dancing, Jeremy and Scott became popular. Women and a few men offered to buy their drinks and flirted with them. Auggie's thoughts were no longer on Juliette but on choosing a companion for Scott. A woman asked Scott to sing karaoke with her. Auggie pushed him to do it, so Scott sang a duet with her. Afterwards, she stayed at the table with them. The woman's name was Mara, and she worked at a technology firm in the city. Scott felt uncomfortable as she was clearly interested in him, while Auggie encouraged her. Jeremy gave him glances indicating he didn't know how to help.

Jeremy and Scott went to get another round of drinks, including a soda for Jeremy. Scott briefly explained to him that Auggie was Juliette's ex-fiancé, and their break-up was part of the reason she was still single.

"Why didn't you tell me this before? It would've been nice to know. I invited him to lunch tomorrow with all of us," Jeremy said.

There hadn't been time to explain. Scott told Jeremy that he and Juliette hadn't told anyone outside of work they had reconnected. "People were so weird about our relationship, even when we were friends. We want to figure things out before people start sharing their opinions, which they will. Even Auggie," Scott explained to Jeremy.

"No one else has a say. Maybe Shelby because things aren't clear between you two, but Auggie's married. It's a done deal for him. We're talking later. I need more details." Jeremy said as they returned to the table.

Auggie leaned over to Scott, "I regret encouraging her," indicating to Mara who was watching karaoke. Scott was confused but relieved. He wasn't going to do anything with Mara, but Auggie would've questioned why he rejected her.

"You don't need another woman getting in the way of you and Shelby reuniting. You two are destined to be together. She's just scared. Don't worry about it, meat. I don't want you two to end up like me and Jules. Shelby is made of stronger stuff though," Auggie drunkenly told him. Scott felt intense anger mixed with a sudden urge to cry. Mara wasn't the woman Auggie should be worried about getting in the way of him and Shelby.

Jeremy offered to help Auggie get back to his hotel, which was good because Scott wanted to be alone. He was angry people kept assuming they knew his fate or destiny. Scott briefly believed in fate when he met Shelby, but he stopped believing in it years ago. He was tired of people idealizing first love as being true love. Or even that there was a true love. A person could only find true happiness with one person out of billons of people?

His mom once told him a person can come into someone's life for a time or moment and change it but aren't meant to be there forever. At the time she said it, he had gotten mad and yelled at her for not supporting him and Shelby. As for fate, he couldn't deny how everything came together concerning him and Juliette.

Scott's mood was not better in morning as he waited to have breakfast with Juliette. He was still angry from the night before. Juliette found him starting intensely at his coffee on the table as if he was going to shatter the cup at any moment. He jumped when she touched his shoulder, but he felt better upon seeing her. Neither brought up Auggie. Instead, they discussed the business proposition along with the pros and cons of it. She was hesitant to leave her current job but liked the opportunities his company offered.

"I have to mention something though. Mr. Henderson asked if there was something going on between us. He didn't care, but he said if I took the job, you wouldn't be my boss. I would be supervised under someone else. He doesn't want people getting the wrong impression of us. I assured him there wasn't anything going on between us," Juliette shared with him.

"Sadly not," Scott grumbled. His feelings were probably obvious despite his attempts to remain neutral. He saw Mr. Henderson and Jeremy approaching them.

She shrugged and looked away, avoiding his eyes. Secretly, she was glad to know he still cared about her. "There are feelings on my part," she said, barely audible. It was loud enough for Scott to hear though, and it greatly improved his mood.

They were touring Chinatown when Scott received a message from Auggie saying he'd meet them for lunch. He and Jeremy looked at each other in surprise. They had forgotten Jeremy invited Auggie. They both looked at Juliette. Mr. Henderson was taking pictures of her with a decorative umbrella. She smiled and laughed, unaware of possibly seeing her former fiancé. Scott once again thought about the timing of everything. It was as if the universe was trying to force them to openly admit their feelings for each other.

Scott and Jeremy pulled Juliette aside while Henderson talked to some other tourists. They told her Auggie was coming to lunch. They reassured her backing out of lunch wasn't a sign of weakness, and they understood if she did. She didn't know what to do but saw concern in the men's eyes, which made her realize she wasn't alone. A mini battle waged in her mind.

"If it helps, we'll be here for support," Scott offered.

"Yeah, if you need him punched in the face, I can hire someone. My great grandfather was rumored to work for the mob. Irish side, not Italian," Jeremy joked.

She laughed at Jeremy's efforts to humor her. Joking aside, it was probably time to face the past. To test her strength. It also helped to have Scott there. "I'll go," she told them. They decided not tell Mr. Henderson, who was here on business, about personal matters.

Mr. Henderson and Jeremy went into the restaurant first. Jeremy popped his head out the door; "He's already here."

Scott pulled Juliette into a nearby alley to see if she still wanted to go through with it. She took several deep breathes to calm her nerves. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his upper torso and rested her head on his chest. "I'll be here," he said into her hair. She looked at him with absolute trust in her eyes. He kissed her forehead. They stared at each other for several seconds before she pulled away. She held his hand until they reached the restaurant. She took one last deep breathe before going through the door to her past.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

I do not own Higher Ground, its characters, or anything related to it. I do own Jeremy and Mr. Henderson.

Italics represent a flashback.

Juliette walked through the restaurant door, and everything seemed to move in slow motion. Auggie stopped looking at the menu and made eye contact with her. There was a mixture of excitement and uncertainty in his demeanor. Scott came in behind her. Mr. Henderson was making Jeremy pick out a crab from the aquarium to eat. With a neutral blank face, she confidently walked to the table. It helped knowing Scott was behind her.

Auggie got up and embraced her in a firm hug. She hugged him back. Not out of longing, but to address the awkwardness head on, rather than shy away from it. Not knowing their history, Mr. Henderson sat her across from Auggie. To avoid talking, she focused on the menu. She slowly read every word, imagining what the dishes looked like based on their descriptions. Focusing on her menu gave Auggie time to study her. He was amazed by how mature she looked. She looked the same but older and more defined. Her slight wavy hair was pulled back from her face while the rest of it fell over her pink, flowy blouse. She looked classy, even while wearing black jeans and comfortable but stylish shoes.

Green eyes met his dark brown ones, so he shifted his gaze to ask Scott what he was ordering. Scott wondered if Mr. Henderson sensed the tension in the air. It was thick enough to cut with a knife. Henderson cheerfully chatted about the city though. Then, he naturally asked about the three's high school years together.

"It was pretty typical," Juliette answered first. Almost too soon after the questions were asked.

"Yeah. Dated, fell in love, studied, sports, the usual," Scott followed.

"We had a diverse group from very different backgrounds, which is unique in a high school setting. Most students stick with like-minded people," Auggie said, differing his response. He figured the boss didn't know the school was for screw-ups, so he left that part out of his answer. Mr. Henderson expressed how great it was they were together again.

"So, tell me Auggie. Were Scott and Juliette an item in high school?" Mr. Henderson asked, winking at Auggie. The other three looked desperately around for an escape. Scott wanted to run. Juliette wondered if the ladies' restroom had a window in it, while Jeremy thought about shoving his head in the crab tank.

"Football player and cheerleader? Yeah, they dated briefly. They were better as friends though," was Auggie's simple answer. Scott wanted to throw his green tea at him. "Better off as friends, ha!" Scott sulked to himself.

"Mr. Henderson, what were you like in high school?" Jules asked.

The rest of the meal was pleasant with conversation about the company and the food. Scott reached under the tablecloth to squeeze Juliette's hand a few times. Auggie's job and family was briefly talked about towards the end of lunch. Juliette rested her foot against Scott's foot, while he talked about them. Auggie endeared himself to Henderson, so he was invited to accompany them on a hike near the Golden Gate Bridge. Auggie looked at Juliette to gauge whether to accept or not. He couldn't read her.

The national park was serene and quiet. Juliette suggested they go in various directions from one another for alone time. It was the type of place to commune with nature and themselves. "I love Californians," Mr. Henderson said happily, strolling off one way. Really, Juliette wanted to be alone with Scott. She motioned with her eyes for him to follow her. Scott pretended to go one way but turned around in Juliette's direction. He found her on an overlook of the bay. He casually looped his arm around her shoulder.

"How are you doing?" he asked, bringing her closer.

"It helps to have you here." He felt her relax against him. She liked how Scott made her feel safe; a firm rock. "You're doing great," Scott encouraged. She smiled at him before placing her head back his chest. He rubbed her back. Touching her was an subconscious act. When he caught himself doing it, he had to remind himself it was disrespectful to cross the line. He stopped and walked to another spot.

"I don't know whether to take the job or not, and it's mainly because of you," Juliette explained to him, "I want to be around you, but I don't know if I can resist you. I've missed you these past few weeks. I also can't keep you at a distance, then pull you back. It's unfair, but I'm terrified."

"I've thought it'd be easy at first. That I could stay away, but after observing you from the outside, then closer, I… it feels unnatural. It being us two. Having Auggie here and not feeling anything good or bad for him makes me realize the extent of my feelings for you," Juliette continued, but her rehearsed speech fell apart.

Knowing her feelings gave him a surge of confidence. Scott strode over to her and took her face in his hands. His blue eyes bore into her green ones. "For the first time in a long time, I'm so happy," he earnestly told her. Her body leaned into his wanting desperately to bridge the gap between them. They pulled each other into a tight hug. They wished no one was nearby to find them, so they could kiss each other as they desperately wanted to do. She was tired of resisting those soft, full lips.

Juliette looked at the cloudy sky as Scott held her in his arms, stroking her hair. She felt fear replace the intense happiness. "What happens from here?" she whispered into his ear. "Nothing's been resolved," she went on.

She was right. He'd talk to Shelby soon. He also had to figure out where he stood with wanting children. However, he wanted a moment of relief from everything, and he wanted her to be a part of it. "Can we at least send this week together? Can we just be together? No drama or worries. Like normal people who like each other." he asked, hoping she'd agree. He knew it was a dangerous suggestion.

"I don't know. After this week, it would have to return to the way it was before," she hesitated.

"But why?" He knew why, so she just gave him a side glance. Several seconds went by; "Only for the week."

They tried to settle down from the excitement of getting a carefree week together. Grinning and shifting. Deep breathes and pacing. Anything to prevent themselves from blissfully kissing each other and risk Auggie catching them. They expected Auggie to look for her. While they waited, they came up with several things to do after work.

"Hold on," Juliette stopped their planning. Shyness overcame her. "I want us to hang out uncomplicated by the addition of, um, physical action. I don't want passion or lust complicating things, especially when nothing is resolved. Because it can complicate things," she said, avoiding eye contact the whole time. It reminded him of young Jules until she suddenly looked at him; "But I do fantasize about you."

"I understand. I think it's a wise decision. Although, it will be hard. I fantasize about you too. A lot," a blush coming to his cheeks as he said it.

"It will be hard. I want you to the point of desperation."

"I ache for you..."

"Hey, meat. Are you ruining her alone time?" Scott and Juliette jumped.

"I wanted to talk to him about the job offer," Juliette explained to Auggie.

"You do what's best for you, Jules,"Auggie told her. He then asked to speak with her alone.

"I'm not ready yet, sorry."

"Ok, I understand. Maybe next weekend?"

"Perhaps."

Jeremy and Mr. Henderson soon joined them. They finished their hike, and Auggie went home. Before he left, Mr. Henderson invited him and his wife dancing with the group the following Saturday night.

Scott, Jeremy, and Mr. Henderson worked in the city during the day, while Juliette worked from her hotel room. After work, she and Scott would do various things in the city. Jeremy had a feeling the week wouldn't be the end of it but was glad they finally admitted their affection. While kissing and more physical things were off limits, they held hands and hugged.

They toured the former island prison, Alcatraz. Listened to an orchestra concert with Jeremy another night. One day, Scott and Juliette met for lunch at a park where they picnicked and flew kites. Scott gave some curious kids the kites when they were done. They walked on part of the Golden Gate Bridge, saw Lombard Street, and went back to Chinatown. Scott saved the biggest trip for Friday afternoon.

Based on their drive, Juliette figured they were out of the city. She noticed how quiet it was wherever they were. Scott removed Juliette's blindfold to reveal a hot air balloon. The hot air balloon ride was Scott's idea and hoped she'd like it. Scott paid a little extra for them to be the only passengers besides the pilot. Scott packed a bottle of Champagne.

The pilot thought they were newlyweds. They explained they were only on a date. It was the easiest explanation. The pilot assured them he'd stay out of the way. She watched Scott play with a Labrador. He stopped to catch his breath and smiled at her, urging her to play with the dog before they flew. Letting him go was going to be harder then she thought.

Pictures and words can't do some images justice Juliette thought as she looked down at the green rolling hills. The hills went to the sea in one direction and were hidden by the city in the other direction. The sun cast a golden hue over everything. Clouds created giant shadows on the ground below. It was the closest she ever came to floating. She wished she could see the entire earth. She turned to look at Scott at the other corner of the basket. He looked like a golden statute. His face looked relaxed, and he stood tall in the late afternoon sun. She remembered them watching the sunset in Pasadena and how handsome he looked.

Disappointed the week was almost over, she moved away from Scott as she fought back tears. She was still determined to get him back with Shelby. Once they reunited, it would force her to move on instead of being overwhelmed with conflicting feelings. End the uncertainty and doubt. It was the hope of possibly being with him that bothered her the most though. She didn't want the hope when she knew how this was going to end. Losing him again saddened her, especially because it was real this time. Thinking of her future loss caused the tears to silently flow. She hoped Scott couldn't tell when he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he looked out into the open expanse.

Auggie and his wife, Jennifer, accepted the dancing invitation. Getting ready was agonizing. She didn't have to prove anything, impress anybody, but she still wanted to look her best. She dried her hair straight and created volume at the roots. She carefully crafted her make-up to model perfection.

Her dress was a blend of modern and vintage. It had the clean, tailored cut of the 1960's, the subtle beading of the 1920's, and modern, triangular cut outs. The back was mostly cut out, and there were smaller cut outs on the side along the ribs. The dress was dark violet, formfitting with capped sleeves, and stopped mid-thigh. She paired it with long earrings and silver heels. The last thing she did was cover her scars with heavy make-up since her arms showed.

Scott knocked on the door to check on her. His face indicated she succeeded in looking nice. In fact, he was speechless. "There are advantages to being a princess," she smirked.

"Are you trying to seduce him? Or me? I won't put up a fight," he teased.

"Giving it up so easily? Where's the fun in that?"

"I won't win. Like little Red Riding Hood to the big, bad wolf."

"Oh, so am I the beast or the girl?"

"My, my what big eyes you have."

"The better to see you with."

"My, my what big…" he paused not knowing what to say without sounding offensive.

"Mouth I have?" she offered. "The better to…never mind. It would be inappropriate of me," she finished, giving a sly grin. They both laughed, and she pulled him into a hug. He liked she felt comfortable enough to be playful.

 _He hated it at Horizon. School for losers like himself. The Juliette girl was playful and fun though. He liked how she boldly kissed him. If someone like her was brave enough to kiss him, then he'd give her a chance. She was playful flirty, not sexual flirty. Safe. He asked her to meet him in the shed. He looked around; "Jules?"_

 _"_ _If you want me, you have to find me," she giggled from a corner. He snuck around to surprise her but heard her run to somewhere else in the shed. He came up with a plan and snatched her as she dodged past him. They giggled and started kissing. "Maybe this part of Horizon is ok," he thought._

Scott finished getting ready. He put on dark grey dress pants and a light blue button-up shirt. The colors looked well on him. Distractingly well, Juliette observed. They found the group already in the lobby when they arrived. Jennifer wore a red halter dress with her curly hair piled in a high bun. Juliette liked it but wasn't sure whether to compliment her or not. She noticed Jennifer look her over and wondered what the verdict was.

Mr. Henderson forgot his phone in his room, and Jeremy went to the bathroom. Scott suggested they wait in the van. Juliette started walking when she heard Jennifer say to Auggie in Spanish, "She looks high maintenance. This isn't Paris." Juliette spun around and locked eyes with Jennifer. "I understand Spanish," she said in a challenging tone. In her heels, Jules towered over the petite woman, but Jennifer was tough since she came from Auggie's neighborhood.

Auggie immediately intercepted. He stood between the two women. In Spanish, he asked Jennifer to improve her mood and told her belittling Jules was uncalled for. Jennifer admitted it was rude. Juliette said in Spanish that Jennifer was only sorry because she was caught. She didn't expect a gringa like Jules to know Spanish. "Jules, back off. She shouldn't have said it, but she's nervous," Auggie defended his wife. He looked at Scott who was behind Juliette. Scott was not pleased. His hand rested on the small of Juliette's back in a show of support.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm nervous," Jennifer apologized.

"I'm nervous too," Juliette reassured her.

Jeremy waited until it was safe to usher everyone outside into the van. Mr. Henderson chose a Latin dance place away from the downtown area. Its style was modeled after an old Parisian opera house. Red, plush booths and mahogany tables surrounded the dance floor. An upper floor allowed guests to watch from balconies. Gold chandlers from the ceiling and baroque wall lamps produced dim, yellow light. Professional dancers danced for fifteen minutes on the ballroom floor doing the tango, salsa, mambo, and other dances. Guests danced for thirty minutes in between performances. A band was on a stage in front of the dance floor.

The group settled into a booth in the middle section. Juliette was genuinely excited, which made Scott happy. Thoughts of dancing erased the confrontation with Jennifer. Mr. Henderson asked Juliette to dance. A huge grin on their faces, she slipped into his arms. Auggie wanted to ask Scott if there was something between Juliette and Henderson. He was curious but was scared to ask in front of Jennifer. Instead, he went to buy a bottle of wine for the table since they finished the first one.

"Mary Sue."

Scott and Jeremy looked at each other, then at Jennifer. She watched as Juliette danced at ease to a basic waltz. The two men ignored it but were annoyed. A slower song came on, the lights dimmed, and Auggie took Jennifer on the dance floor. Scott asked to cut in and dance with Juliette. They moved far away from the booth. He put one arm around her waist. His free hand intertwined with hers. She rested her other hand on his shoulder. They moved in slow circles, savoring their proximity.

"Are you having fun?" he asked worried Jennifer ruined it.

"Yes!"

"Yeah?"

She nodded happily, and he kissed her forehead. Their dancing slowed, and they moved their bodies closer together. Both of their arms were wrapped around the other. If they moved their heads, their lips would touch. Warmth radiated from them.

"I'll give in first. I wish we could be alone," she said into his ear. He liked how she owned her desire; progress for him since he used to be scared of assured women.

When the song ended, they returned to the booth. Scott went to the restroom with Jeremy soon following him. "The way you and Juliette were dancing, I'm sure Auggie noticed," Jeremy warned him. Scott was drying his hands when Auggie came into the restroom. Scott and Jeremy positioned themselves between the door and him.

"Is there something going on between you and Jules?" Auggie asked Scott. His tone was accusatory as if Scott did something wrong.

"What makes you think that?" Scott asked.

"The way the two of you act around each other. Either trying to avoid interacting or being cozy. Watching you two dance. It was intimate," Auggie explained.

Scott wasn't ready for any Cliffhanger to know of his and Juliette's feelings for one another, so he said, "She's one of my best friends now. Besides, you don't get a say anymore." It was true. Juliette was one of his best friends. She and Jeremy.

"Maybe not, but I'm going to say it anyway. I know I hurt Jules. Believe me, I loved her, and it was and still is one of the hardest decisions I've made. I thought about her everyday wondering where and how she was doing. I want her to be happy. As crazy as it sounds, I still want to protect her. I don't want her hurt again, and you'll hurt her. So leave her alone!"

"No, no, no! Don't pretend to be the good guy. You hurt her and left her broken. Do you think I want to hurt her? Besides, you're probably jealous! You were always suspicious of her and me. Always threatened by me," Scott practically yelled.

"This. This right here is why I'm worried for Jules. You are still egotistical and delusional. You only think of yourself and your own desires. I don't even think you're good enough for Shelby!" Auggie yelled back.

Jeremy was grateful the restroom was far down a hall. Scott stormed out and back to the booth. Juliette laughed with Mr. Henderson as they watched the dancers. Unware of what happened between Auggie and himself. He wanted to cry. He was terrified he would hurt her. But was he delusional? Selfish? Was he good enough for anyone?

* * *

The clock read 3:45 a.m., and Scott couldn't sleep. There was an unexpected knock on the door. It was Juliette. She was still in her dress. She twirled her hair nervously. "Are you ok?" Scott asked sensing the tension.

"I really want to be in your arms," she softly muttered. A sense of desperation overtook Scott, and he pulled her into his arms. Shutting the door, they began passionately kissing. Hands roaming and exploring. "I've waited so long for this," Scott moaned in between kissing.

He ran his hands firmly along her hips and waist. Their bodies pressed close together. He broke their kiss to trail kisses along her jawline and neck. Her hands pulled him crushingly close. His passion was heightening. She ran her fingers along his back under his shirt. She started kissing his neck.

"Shelby," Scott moaned.

Juliette stopped and backed away from him. Scott instantly apologized, regretting accidently saying the wrong name. Juliette started crying and slapped Scott's hands away as he tried to beg her forgiveness. She left his room almost sobbing. The light in the hall revealing the pain he caused.

Mr. Henderson and Jeremy noticed the change between the two of them but neither asked questions. Jeremy told Scott to call him if he needed anything. Juliette ignored Scott unless it was necessary. On the plane, she changed her seat. Scott was devastated and angry with himself.

Scott tried contacting Jules several times over the next two months. Like Auggie, he was unable to reach her. He considered driving to her apartment, but it would be inappropriate. He felt it was an invasion of privacy to go by her work too. She decided not to accept the job offer.

In May, he ran into her at a restaurant. She was sitting by herself at a table. Beautiful as ever. They made eye contact before she looked away. This was his chance to speak to her. He sat at the empty chair across from her.

"Scott, go away. I have nothing to say to you. You know why I got upset," she said, tears pooling her green eyes.

"You have every right to be upset. But know, I'm sorry, and I miss you," he pleaded.

"My date is coming back. I don't want him questioning why you're here," she said angrily. She ignored him, so he left.

Two months later, Scott still struggled with losing her. After seeing her at the restaurant, she sent an e-mail explaining why she didn't want him in her life. His action clearly proved he still loved Shelby, he hurt her, and it was best for them to go on with their separate lives. He thought about seeing a therapist about his depression.

He saw her at the beach one day. He had to explain one more time. She was more receptive to him this time. He told her he had officially ended things with Shelby, and he still cared about her. She let him apologize before taking his hands in hers. "I forgive you, but you have to move on too," she said, giving him a sympathetic smile. He noticed the ring on her left hand. Juliette explained she and the man she was dating were getting married. It had been a whirlwind romance, but they knew what they wanted and found it in each other. She was finally happy.

* * *

Scott gasped for air as he shot up in bed. The hotel room was dark and the only sound was the soft hum of the air conditioner. It was only a dream he told himself. Still, he felt hollow and incredibly upset. Both the events of the night and his dream played out in his mind. Fortunately for Jules, Auggie couldn't get her alone to speak to her, so she went to bed in a good mood.

Scott went into the bathroom to splash water on his face. He looked in the mirror. He didn't see thirty-two year old Scott. He saw young, insecure Scott. The one who was lost and begging for comfort. The one who hurt Leslie and Charlotte. The selfish version. The terrified one. The one who was worried he'd hurt or lose Juliette.

The more he thought of Juliette though, the more he calmed down. He wasn't any of those versions.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

I do not own Higher Ground or any of its characters.

After packing, Juliette decided to get coffee. She hoped no one else was awake because she wanted to be alone. She struggled with being both happy and sad. The week had been wonderful and now it was coming to an end. She and Scott would limit their interactions again. She thought it was very silly to intentionally put one's self in harm's way in whatever form, so she must distance herself from the man she'd grown to care for.

There was a restaurant on the top floor with large windows to view the city. Juliette slowly sipped her coffee as she watched the sun peak through the buildings. Her minded wondered to the past week. It was nice to interact with Scott and get to know him without the boundaries, minus intimate interaction.

"Juliette?"

She was startled to find Auggie at her table. "What in the world are you doing here and this early?" she asked surprised and slightly nervous.

He sat down across from her. "I want to talk to you," he said.

She thought she'd gotten away with not speaking with him.

"Hear me out. I've struggled with guilt for a while now. In my own way, I've missed you. I don't know where you've been or what's happened since we separated. Your triumphs and struggles are a mystery to me. However, I see a successful, happy woman, and it makes me very happy. I don't want to see your happiness taken away. I don't have any right to say anything, but Scott will most likely hurt you if you pursue a relationship with him," Auggie explained.

Juliette's breath was taken away as if she'd been punched. She didn't know how to react. She wanted to yell at him though. There were years of things to be yelled about.

The silence allowed Auggie to continue; "It's hard for you to understand, but I wanted you to be okay. I prayed you were doing well. And never in my wildest thoughts did I think you and meat would be together. But Jules, he belongs with Shelby. They've been through too much together. There's too much intense history. Everyone knows their relationship was always a rollercoaster, but they always came back together. Scott has pined for her all these years, and Shelby hasn't dated anyone seriously. Shelby probably assumes she and Scott will eventually get back together. We didn't make it, but maybe they can. Are you going to stop them? Would you do that to them?"

At first, Juliette wanted to sob and run away. She wanted to tell Scott to leave her alone and for him to go to Shelby. However, the only tear shed was one that met its end in her hot coffee. No more tears came. She wanted to maintain control of her emotions. She didn't want to go down those previous roads again. One ability she learned from her mother was to put on a mask. Her happy mask wouldn't work but a stoic one might. Although she was feeling anything other than calm, she wasn't going to give Auggie some sick satisfaction of seeing her upset by what was essentially an attempt at manipulation.

She suddenly felt the urge to laugh. She picked up her coffee and took a sip to stop from giggling. Auggie's face showed he was confused and worried.

"I realize now how lucky I am you left me. I didn't realize what an emotional, manipulative bully you are. I hope you don't bully Jennifer. I used to be easy to control and influence, and you of all people are trying to use it against me. Scott never tried to use my weaknesses against me. Not even at Horizon," she told him.

"But anyway, I am perfectly aware of losing Scott to Shelby. I also see your thinly veiled attempt to sabotage him and me. Most likely to due to some form of jealously or resentment at choosing him first," she finished. Her eyes sparkling with triumph over her cup as she drank.

Auggie's eyes showed he was thinking of his next move, but Juliette stood up before he could do more damage. "I'm not going to stay and listen to any more of your fake concerns. You're more worried about me liking Scott than you are for my happiness. Scott is a part of my happiness. Instead of encouraging me to be with him, you use Shelby to stop me," she told him before swiftly walking away.

Juliette was proud of herself, but his words still cut deeply. The tears were coming now and blinding her as she fumbled to open the hotel door when Scott gently reached to take her card and opened the door. She didn't hear his door open or sense his presence. Seeing her crying, he pulled her into his arms. He felt so warm and comforting Juliette thought. Being in his arms made her cry even harder.

Scott moved them into her room. He looked down at her concerned. It was her turn to notice the dark circles under his eyes and his messy hair. She stopped crying, smiled, and combed his hair back with her fingers. He returned the smile and held her close to him. "What's wrong?" he whispered into her ear. She thought it was strangely sensual to whisper since they were alone. She leaned into to him; "Did you not sleep well?"

"I asked you first."

Peter and Sophie taught her communication is key in relationships. To be open about concerns and not drag them out or hide them. Juliette told him about her conversation with Auggie. Scott was furious. Juliette begged him not to confront Auggie, at least not yet. Scott paced around the room like a caged animal. He had several things to say about it and revealed his own confrontation with Auggie.

"Is that why you didn't sleep well?" Jules asked him. Scott also told her about the dream.

"I would be very upset, but I suppose I'd try to understand. After all, I could easily do it too. I haven't slept with anyone in years. There are personal ways to satisfy one's self, but old habits die hard," she reassured him. His shoulder's fell in a relaxed state as she rubbed his back.

She denied herself so much in last few years. Maybe it was part of the reason Scott affected her. She was starved of romantic affection. Throughout the years after her breakdown, people always had something to say about her singleness. They wanted to find someone for her, assumed she was a serial dater, or questioned why she wasn't married yet. "Surely you're the type who'd be married by now. You seem like a person in love with love" she heard plenty of times. It was true a long time ago. She had been a hopeless romantic before getting a heavy dose of reality.

"Scott…" she hesitated. "Do you think it's okay if we kiss?" she asked. It was a dangerous proposition.

Without a word, Scott leaned down and gave her a long, slow kiss. When they broke apart, Scott's smile lit up his handsome features. It was too much for Juliette who threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hard, fierce kiss. He eagerly returned it. Without breaking apart, they both inhaled before deepening their kiss. They eventually became in synch with each other's movements. "Just kissing," Scott indicated to the bed.

If it was one thing they always did well together, it was kissing. Scott looked down at her flushed face, parted lips, and dark lashes. He was amazed at his self-control. She pulled him back down and quickened their kisses. "Juli-ette," Scott whispered in a daze. His phone started ringing.

He briefly looked at it before flinging it off the nightstand. Auggie wasn't going to ruin this moment. He caused enough pain. Sensing it was Auggie, Juliette didn't ask questions. Scott placed his forehead on hers. His face hovered above hers while he leaned on his forearms. Juliette leaned up and gave him an affectionate kiss.

He kissed her cheeks and nose before looking into her eyes. There were so many things they wanted to say to one another, but silence won. Juliette sat up, and asking permission with her eyes, took his shirt off and kissed his neck. Both of them kneeled on the bed. Scott smoothed her hair back with his hands and resumed kissing her.

"Tell me what you want, Juliette." Scott barely choked out. He went to kiss her, but she moved her head back and grinned at him. Her playfulness soon disappeared. In a swift motion, she pushed him onto his back.

Soft noises escaped their lips. Heat and sweat filled the air. Their passion was teetering between kissing and foreplay when someone knocked on Juliette's door. They untangled as if caught by Peter and Sophie. "Who is it? I'm changing," Juliette called out to the person. "It's Jeremy. I haven't seen Scott, but Mr. Henderson and I are going to the top floor for breakfast. Auggie and Jennifer are already there."

Scott and Juliette wondered if Jeremy heard them. Some of their clothes laid beside the bed in various places. Both knew their moment of passion was over. Juliette was relieved.

She brushed her hair and put back on her sweater. "You have awesome bedroom hair by the way," Scott teased, while she blushed.

"I want you to know. It wasn't lust. I've been across the spectrum of experience. There's a moment when you have so much intimacy and trust with someone that you want every connection you can have with them. I know because I've been fortunate to experience it. I'd like to give myself completely to you in time." he said, giving her a kiss.

His statement made her squirm like a Catholic school girl hearing about sex. "No, Scott. It can't happen again. Stop making this more difficult," Juliette thought.

Breakfast did not allow for private conversation for which Juliette was grateful. Mr. Henderson was cheerful, and the rest managed to pretend they were happy too. Juliette hadn't worn her fake "happy" mask in a while, so she hoped it held up well. She eventually excused herself from the table.

She put up her hair to not get it wet and stood under the scalding hot shower letting it punish her. Instead of feeling elated, she felt remorseful, dirty, and shameful. Part of the guilt was knowing Auggie was around while she and Scott were lost in abandonment. She didn't miss Auggie, and while she was glad, it also scared her a little. She was either completely recovered or had transferred some reliance onto Scott.

She also wondered if she was betraying Shelby by being involved with Scott. Shelby and she weren't good friends, but she still felt guilty. She was ready to return to her comfort zone. The past week had been emotionally exhausting. Getting involved with Scott and seeing Auggie again was never something she should've done.

She leaned her forehead against the shower wall and started sobbing because despite everything, she no longer wanted Scott to be with Shelby. She wanted him. It was more than his handsomeness, his smiles, and blues eyes. She wanted his attention, affection, the way his quiet presence commanded attention, his subtle playfulness, his gentle reassurance. An older Scott refined by experience and self-awareness.

Someone knocked on her hotel door, but she stayed in the shower. Afterwards, she found a piece of folded paper outside the door. It was a note from Auggie. He wrote he was sorry about upsetting her, and he wanted to talk to her about other things. He left his business card if she decided to talk to him.

Scott slept most of the plane and car ride home. Before dropping him off at his apartment, he asked what was going to happen between them now. Neither fully thought about their future together after the week was over, but both had a busy week ahead of them at work. She had a month to decide whether to accept or decline the job offer.

Juliette suggested they spend the time apart evaluating their week together. Scott begrudgingly agreed. He still had to figure things out between him and Shelby along with his stance on future children.

Almost two weeks had gone by when Juliette she saw an e-mail from Katherine, who was now Katherine Coleson. Dread overcame her as she read it.

 _Juliette,_

 _I hope you are doing well. It's been a while since I've seen or heard from you. I know it's over the ten year reunion mark. The Cliffhangers said you weren't able to make it to the official reunion, and since I was a grade ahead of the group, I didn't attend either. I was thinking we could have a reunion for any Cliffhanger since the school's beginning. I will talk to Peter and Sophie and perhaps we can make it a volunteer weekend for former students to give back to the school. Each year groups rotate so each Horizon group has a reunion, beginning with the Cliffhangers. Please let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Katherine Coleson_

Juliette read the e-mail several times. She couldn't shake off the feeling of dread. The timing of the e-mail was too close to seeing Auggie again. Katherine and she hadn't spoken in years. She hid from everyone after her breakdown and after her recovery felt no need to reconnect with her former classmates. She worried Auggie went to Katherine for help, and she concocted the reunion as a way to reunite Scott and Shelby. Or separate her and Scott.

Juliette hoped the Cliffhangers didn't despise her enough to sacrifice her happiness for the sake of Scott and Shelby' relationship. It would be humiliating to have them reunite while she was there to watch. Having it happen when she wasn't there was bad enough, but it would be cruel to have to witness it, especially if Auggie and Katherine knew her feeling towards Scott.

An hour later, she calmed herself down to get ready for dinner at Scott's place. He asked to see her after complaining about not seeing her for almost two weeks. She told herself she was being paranoid and stressed. However, the dinner would be a good time to discuss things with Scott.

Juliette was disheartened to find candles lit, slow music on, and Scott wearing a maroon sweater and grey dress pants. "He certainly knows what colors work for him," she decided. She looked at her jeans and plain, long sleeved shirt. She had put on make-up to hide her puffy, red eyes from crying. Crying was all she seemed to do lately. "I didn't know I needed to dress nice," she said, nervous.

"You always look nice," he smiled, putting a salad on the table. She smelled the air trying to identify the scent. It was the faint scent of roses. She loved roses and had searched far and wide for rose scented soap, lotion, and perfume. She ordered them from France. Scott noticed the slight smile on her face. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Roses."

"Good because I got you some," he came out of his bedroom with a vase full of red roses and put them on the table. "They remind me of you," he said. The air became stifling all of a sudden, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She sat down and chugged some champagne.

They talked about work, the business proposition, and where she was at with her decision so far. She praised his meal. Scott made lemon chicken with asparagus covered in raspberry vinaigrette. During a lull, he got up from his seat across from her and sat next to her. Taking her hand, he said wanted to ask her something.

"I…um…" he swallowed hard. His hand that held hers was shaking. She prayed he wasn't proposing.

"Will you make love to me?" he asked. A deep blush crept to his cheeks.

"Have you talked to Shelby about you two's relationship?" Juliette had her own questions to ask before they committed to doing something with potential consequences. Questions raced through now raised blue eyes. They communicated without words being spoken.

"No? Why not?" Juliette asked her next question.

"I wanted to see what was happening between us. I also needed to sort out my feelings for you."

"We admitted we care for one another. We dealt with Auggie. You had two weeks to contact her, and now you want me in your bed."

"Nothing is resolved because no decision has been made about us yet. And you kept distancing yourself. And yes, I want you there, but it's because I want to share myself with you. I feel a deep connection with you."

"You could have told her it was over between you two. Then, it would let me know how serious you were about us. You know I'm terrified! And now, Katherine contacts me out of nowhere for a Cliffhanger reunion, which I think it's a ploy to get you and Shelby back together," Juliette said, her voice rising with panic.

"What e-mail? And do you think I will magically forget everything and everyone on seeing Shelby again? Intense, all consuming passion? She and I will get stuck in a cave during a rainstorm and sexual tension will lead us to make passionate love. Then, we'll get married at the gazeebo while the rest of the Cliffhangers cheer us on. Later, we'll have triplets that were conceived in the cave. Is that how you picture it?"

"More or less, yes! And undoubtedly what you've imagined too!" Juliette yelled, "And it's what I wanted to happen until our trip to San Francisco."

"Oh, please!" Scott yelled, but followed with a desperate, "I know you're scared, but don't let your fears come between us."

"If you had to choose between Shelby and me, who would you pick?" she asked. She had to know. The past had taught her to face answers rather than avoid them. Facing reality made it easier to deal with it in the long term.

"I don't know."

Painful relief flooded her. It wasn't the answer she wanted, but it was the one she expected. This was her way out of everything. The door back to her reclusive world and away from her past had opened again.

"Thank you for being honest with me. I should've asked sooner," she said. She appreciated his truthfulness, even if it hurt. She grabbed her purse to leave when Scott jumped up from the table.

"Fight for me. Show me you care enough to fight for us," Scott begged.

"What am I? A gladiator who has to fight Shelby to the death to prove my devotion? Well, it's not worth the fight," Juliette told him before walking through both doors. One literal, one symbolic.

 _Dear Katherine,_

 _It was nice to hear from you. I won't be able to make it to the reunion. Thank you for the invite._

 _Love,_

 _Jules_


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

I do not own _Higher Ground_ , its characters, or anything else associated with it.

Scott's emotions were derisive among women. Some women liked Scott's sensitivity. He wore his emotions on his sleeve so to speak. Other women, like Daisy and Leslie, thought his sadness was too tied to anger-to the point of being explosive. He agreed with Daisy and Leslie and sought to control his emotions. Yet, crying was often a form of relief.

Crying was exactly what he did when Juliette left his apartment. He was too disheartened by her words to chase her, and when he finally did, she was gone. He went back inside and buried his face into his folded arms and cried at his newfound loss. He didn't expect for things to happen as they did, especially after their wonderful week together.

He berated himself for crossing the line of decency. His actions somehow always led him to lose women. He thought he had learned and bettered himself from those lessons. Instead, he made the only woman he truly cared about since Shelby walk out on him.

The next day, he drank a pot of coffee and threw himself into work. He needed a mental distraction before thinking about his next course of action. He still thought of Jules all day long though. He created scenarios in his head where he ran after her and caught her in time. Scenarios where he gave her the answer she wanted when she asked who he would choose between her and Shelby. Fantasizing wouldn't bring her back though.

He needed to think and sort. He still hadn't given her fertility issues much thought. He felt bad for having to even consider her issues though. When you cared about a person as a whole, did one overlook someone for only one aspect? An aspect out of her control. Who thinks about fertility at 14, or however old she was when her bulimia started? At some point he was going to have to stop thinking and starting making decisions. Questions needed answering.

He was still hyper focusing on Juliette when Patricia called him. Three years after his divorce from Elaine, Martin married a school guidance counselor his age named Patricia. Martin married her partly because of her job. He thought Patricia would be more understanding towards him and Scott's traumatic experience than other women would've been. His dad was correct. Patricia continued to help Scott with his issues. Besides Shelby, Sophie, and his mom, Patricia helped restore Scott's faith in people.

Scott and Martin's relationship was still fractured, although not as much as before. In Scott's twenties, Martin tried controlling both Scott's platonic and romantic relationships. It caused further issues in their relationship, but Martin was paranoid Scott would get hurt again.

As a result of his experiences with Elaine, Martin developed trust issues with everyone, especially women. Patricia was a caring woman, but even she tired of Martin dictating where she went and what she did. She divorced Martin after five years of marriage but remained close to him and Scott.

Patricia called to tell him his father had a heart attack. His dad was at the hospital, and there was a chance he needed surgery on his arteries. Once in the ambulance, Martin was adamant Scott stay in Pasadena and not worry about him. However, he wanted Patricia to tell Scott that he loved him.

Scott's parents were on the older side when they had him. Martin, his dad, was 28 years old and his mom was 27. When Scott looked at recent pictures of his parents, he'd realize how much older everyone was getting.

Scott fell apart and didn't know who to call other than Juliette. It had been two days since their conversation. After hearing his voicemail, she called him back and stayed on the phone with him until she got to his apartment. She held him for a while, helped him pack, and drove him to the airport to catch a red-eye flight. Neither talked about what happened between them. Juliette got the details about his dad and told him to contact her if he needed anything.

After two days, he was sleep deprived but stayed at the hospital as much as possible. As the day wore on, he thought he was seeing a mirage caused by sleep deprivation and a migraine. He blinked a few times but the image didn't disappear. Instead, she walked into the waiting room and stopped in front of him.

Shelby gave him one of her famous smirks and a look that said, "Well, are you just going to stare at me?" She opened her arms for a hug. He tentatively hugged her, not really knowing what to do. After hellos were said, he told her about his dad. She noted how tired he himself looked. He was exhausted and wanted coffee from the cafeteria. Shelby nudged him and told him she was taking him to his dad's home to rest instead.

Scott closed his eyes as the migraine pounded his head. He tried looking out the window but was unable to focus on anything beside his head and his dad. Shelby looked worriedly at him a few times. Once at his dad's house, he thanked Shelby for forcing him to sleep and went to bed.

His dad's house was outside the city. It was smaller than the one Scott grew up in and looked like a camping lodge. It had a second floor with a balcony that wrapped around the whole house. Each room had a sliding glass door to access the balcony. The house was surrounded by trees and overlooked a lake. Shelby hadn't been there in years, so she explored while Scott slept. After looking at the lake, she decided to cook something for Scott. She smiled at all the newspaper and magazine clippings Martin had about Scott displayed on the refrigerator. He was obviously proud of Scott.

One newspaper picture at eye-level featured a brunette as the focal point. She took up the lower, left frame. She was looking directly into the camera. Her dark, curly hair was loosely swept back from her face, and she was half laughing, half smiling. Scott was in the center of the picture holding scissors for a ribbon cutting ceremony. Shelby had a sense of déjà vu like she'd seen the woman in the picture before.

A magazine picture showed a group of business people at a table with Scott at the head. The same brunette was there wearing a white blazer and a big smile. Then, it hit Shelby. It was Juliette. Juliette was in several more pictures and articles about Scott's new company. Apparently, she worked with Scott. Shelby never pictured Juliette as a career woman.

Shelby was distracted by the pictures as she cooked omelets for her and Scott. She was curious about Juliette now. Last Shelby heard about Juliette was that she and Auggie had broken up, and Auggie had married a former girlfriend. Shelby felt bad for thinking it, but she wasn't very surprised. She thought they were too different to last, but they stayed together longer than anyone thought they would.

Then, Juliette mysteriously disappeared from everyone's radar. When Auggie showed up to the reunion with his wife, the others assumed it was why Juliette didn't come to it. Scott had missed it too, but he told her in advance he wouldn't make it due to work. Shelby wasn't close to Jules, but she wanted to make sure Juliette was okay after her break-up with Auggie. Juliette was always on the fragile side. They might get their chance to reunite though since Katherine was planning a reunion of sorts.

Shelby woke Scott up so he could eat. He was still tired but followed her downstairs. "Your dad has been keeping up with your budding career," Shelby said, pointing to the fridge. Martin requested Scott send him local magazines and newspapers about Scott's company, but he didn't know his dad was displaying them. His chest tightened as he looked at Juliette in the pictures. "I didn't know you and princess worked together," Shelby said breaking through his thoughts.

"Oh, yeah. She works in PR for a company that leases PR groups to other companies. Her company does a lot of things," he answered.

"I never pegged her for a working woman. I thought she'd be married to a rich guy by now," Shelby commented.

Her comment bothered Scott. He was beginning to see why Juliette turned her back on everyone after her break down. People assumed things about Juliette, and those assumptions were often limiting. No one placed limitations on the other Cliffhangers, but Jules had to fight against assumptions made about herself.

"Life can turn plans upside down. Anyway, Juliette was a huge part in getting my company off the ground and running successfully. So much so that my company offered her a job."

Shelby sensed some hostility in Scott's tone. Now she was even more curious. She asked him about his company. She also asked him about Juliette. Scott sensed she was fishing for information concerning him and Jules. He talked about his company without hinting about him and Jules' relationship. His once fading migraine was growing again. He became exhausted by the mental exercise of creating neutral answers to combat Shelby's probing, so he excused himself to go back to bed.

He came back down the stairs as Shelby was washing dishes. "I'm really out of it with exhaustion and worry, but how did you know my dad had a heart attack?" he asked her.

"Your dad didn't want you to worry, but Patricia wanted someone else to know in case something happened and someone needed to be with you. She called Peter and me. Peter and I both thought you needed someone here, so I came. I only live four hours away, so I was going to visit your dad anyway."

"Oh. Well, thank you."

Scott felt better the next morning. Better enough to focus on Shelby. However, he felt nervous and stiff in her presence. He realized it had been almost two years since he last saw her. He looked out the car window on the way to the hospital trying to figure out why it had been that long.

Scott glanced at her. Her hair was long and slightly darker. He noticed she was the leanest he had ever seen her. She explained she and Daisy did a Navy Seal inspired exercise program. They started it to prepare for an obstacle race with friends, but she kept it up as preparation for her upcoming career change. While still doing social work, she was in school to be a detective. Scott was impressed but not surprised. Shelby laughed and said no one was surprised. He soon began to relax in her company as she talked nonchalantly about work and school. It turns out she had been in school for about two years.

Shelby went to the cafeteria to get coffee while Scott stayed in the waiting room. Scott looked at the window from the fourth floor. He studied a woman walking across a parking lot. He watched her get closer to the hospital before running out of the waiting room and down flights of stairs to the hospital entrance. He walked out of the hospital and stopped on seeing Juliette. She explained she had taken some vacations days to come stay with him. She tried calling but didn't get a response. Scott realized he left his phone at his dad's house. He hadn't charged his phone, so it was probably dead anyway.

Scott was touched she came to see him after what happened between them. He was hesitant to tell her Shelby was here but knew he needed to sooner rather than later.

"That's great! I'm glad you're not alone. I'll go to my hotel room and visit your dad later," she said after learning Shelby was here. She slowly started backing away to leave. "No," Scott said sternly before adding more gently, "Please stay." Juliette was hesitant.

They looked at each other for several seconds before both went to hug the other at the same time. The awkward timing of the hugs caused them to laugh. The small moment reestablished their connection, and they talked as if nothing had gone wrong. Scott updated her on his dad. They were currently prepping him for surgery.

Shelby's eyebrows rose when she saw Juliette walk into the waiting room with Scott. "Why, hello princess. My, my, you've certainly grown," Shelby said giving her a hug. Her tone being playful rather than malicious. The initial tension gave way to curiosity. The two girls chatted about work. Shelby was hesitant to ask Juliette about her love life, and Juliette didn't ask Shelby because of Scott's presence. She also didn't want Shelby to return the question.

Patricia arrived after her workday. "It's good to see you two again. Unfortunately, it's not ideal circumstances," she said hugging Scott and Shelby warmly. She sat down and asked Scott and Shelby about work. She asked if they were both staying at Martin's house. "Yes," they told her. A sly, knowing smile appeared on her face.

"Juliette is staying with us too," Scott added.

"Juliette?" Patricia asked.

"Yes. Shelby's and mine's former classmate," Scott indicated to Juliette siting a chair down from Patricia and across from the blonds. Patricia looked over at her as if acknowledge her presence for the first time.

"I thought she was here for another patient. Hello," Patricia shook Juliette's hand. "You look very familiar," she told Juliette.

"Well, she's also plastered all over the fridge," Scott said.

"Yes! You're his coworker too!" Patricia exclaimed realizing the connection. Without sounding rude, she asked what brought Juliette to the hospital and where she staying. Juliette said she wanted to support Scott. Patricia nodded but Juliette sensed she wasn't welcomed. From years of dealing with her mother, Juliette could sense Patricia's smile to her was fake.

"I'm staying at a hotel," Juliette told Patricia.

"Why pay for a place when you can stay at my dad's for free?" Scott asked Jules.

"She can stay with me." Patricia offered. Juliette understood now. Patricia viewed this time as an opportunity for Scott and Shelby to reunite.

"I have a hotel room though," Juliette said.

"You can stay with us," Scott countered.

"It'll be too crowded. She can stay with me," Patricia added.

Scott also realized what was going on and had enough. He stood up and said in a firm, steady tone, "Juliette is staying at my dad's too. End of discussion."

No one dared argued with Scott. Juliette was going to stay with Scott and Shelby at Martin's house.

I apologize for any medical mistakes. I am definitely not involved in the medical field, and I don't have the time outside of writing to research. Next time...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I do not own _Higher Ground_ , its characters, or anything associated with it. I do not own Shakespeare's _Romeo or Juliette_.

*Thank you for the review!

Juliette's eyes were locked on a tree across the street, but her mind was elsewhere. She felt a warm, calm presence and turned expecting to see Scott's icy blue eyes. Instead, she met dark blues eyes ever so slightly lower than her own gaze. Shelby gave her a reassuring smile. "You look nervous," Shelby observed.

"I feel like a fish out of water. I haven't seen you in years, I've only met Martin once, and I've never met Patricia. It is a little nerve wracking," Juliette answered.

"None of us bite," Shelby chuckled. "Well, I don't anymore," Shelby added. Juliette gave her a small smile and relaxed a bit.

Once at Martin's place, Scott showed Juliette around the house and the lake. They stood staring out across the lake for several minutes. Juliette wondered if Scott's feelings for her had dissipated on seeing Shelby again. "I'm glad you're here," he said looking at her. "I'll always be here for you," she told him, continuing to look out at the lake.

"Hey! Patricia's bringing pizza for dinner," Shelby called out from the house. She had been on the phone with her work when Patricia called her. She saw the two looking out at the lake. Neither seemed to be talking. She wondered how close they were, especially since Juliette had flown to Washington to check on him and Martin. Scott was easy to read, and he didn't show anything when she asked about their working together. There was something Shelby wanted to ask Juliette about when they were alone though.

Patricia told them Martin would have surgery in a day. Until the surgery, they would prep him. Prepping him involved stat checks, tests, and other procedures to make sure he was primed for surgery. Scott took a deep breathe. It was going to be a long next couple of days. He felt better knowing some of his friends were there for support. He looked around at them as they ate. Odd how his circle included another former step-mother, his first love, and an ex-girlfriend/co-worker. Looking at this moment, he never expected Juliette would be in his inner circle and now he couldn't imagine it any other way.

Later, the three went to their rooms to relax and get ready for bed. Juliette wrapped a towel around herself after getting out of the shower and peeked out the door. Not hearing anyone, she sprinted to her room. She had accidently forgotten her night clothes in her room. She fell against the door when she found Shelby sitting on her bed. Shelby apologized for scaring her. "What are you doing in here? Scott's room is down the hall." Juliette asked breathless.

"Very funny but I'm in the right bedroom. I wanted to ask you about something," Shelby said. Juliette tried not to tense up or give herself nervousness away. Shelby was going to ask her and Scott's closeness.

"I heard you saw Auggie recently. How was it?" Shelby asked instead.

Juliette felt relieved, but she wasn't in the clear yet. She wondered how Shelby knew and if Auggie told anyone about the nature of her and Scott's friendship. Shelby provided her the answers; "Auggie talked to Katherine. He told her he saw you, and it didn't go well. He was worried he hurt you. After talking to him, Katherine got an idea to plan a reunion of sorts."

Juliette was angry at Auggie's constant intruding. She wanted to get defensive but knew better than to overact. "Why exactly are you asking?" Juliette asked with an even, calm tone. She hoped Shelby wouldn't get offended by the question. Shelby used to be able to take things she said and get offended by them. Juliette was genuinely curious about Shelby's curiosity concerning her and Auggie.

Juliette saw Shelby's maturity and growth in her reaction. Instead of getting defensive, Shelby shrugged and laughed; "Sorry for being nosey. I don't exactly know why I wanted to know." Shelby seemed perplexed by her own interest in Juliette's and Auggie's encounter.

Juliette relaxed and sat on the bed, forgetting she was in a towel. At least it was a big towel. "Well, we were in San Francisco at the same time. Scott and I were there for business. Well, I went there for a business proposition. Anyway, I thought it was time to face him again and have some closure. Or test to see if I had moved on from our break-up. It was fine seeing him at first, but he started prodding. He wanted to talk, and I realized I wasn't ready to talk," Juliette explained.

"Hey, if anyone understands about not being ready to talk, it's me," Shelby smiled. Both girls sat silently thinking for several seconds before Shelby add, "Perhaps he needs closure." It was a statement rather than a question.

"Who needs closure?"

Both women looked up to see Scott in the doorway.

Juliette explained to Scott that Auggie had contacted Katherine after their trip to San Francisco. Both women saw a flash of anger cross Scott's face. The brief brooding look before he regained control over his emotions. Scott opened his mouth but only a sigh escaped. He told the girls goodnight and went to bed.

Scott popped his head back in; "I never got an e-mail."

"She didn't have your e-mail, so I told her I'd contact you about it," Shelby answered.

"How did she get mine?" Juliette asked.

"Peter and Sophie," Shelby said.

"Goodnight," Scott called down the hall.

Shelby looked at Jules for clues as to Scott's brief anger. Juliette smiled, "As you can see, Scott didn't have the best time with Auggie either." Shelby sensed she wasn't going to get anymore answers from Juliette, so she left to go to bed too.

Scott felt like a fool. Juliette had been right about Katherine's e-mail being linked to Auggie. Maybe her fear about a plot to separate him and her were justified. He fought the temptation to call Auggie and give him a verbal thrashing. Auggie kept crossing boundaries that were no longer his place to cross. However, one thing was answered for Scott. At first, he was nervous at seeing Shelby again. Then, he felt a familiar comfortableness, but he did not feel a surge of passion or desire as he had done in the past. As the years went by, those feelings were replaced by hopelessness and a feeling of loss.

He never asked Shelby about the status of their relationship because he was terrified of her answer. It was as simple as that. He didn't want to hear their relationship was over. Once again, he and Juliette had proven to be similar in regards to their relationships. Right or wrong, they sensed their relationships were over and began the grieving process without ever wanting to know the actual truth.

Looking back, he realized he made a critical error. The error being dependence. He and Shelby both made it, but Shelby being the more mature and insightful one recognized it. Shelby brought her concerns to Daisy who confirmed they could lead to potential problems in the future. Scott and Shelby had formed a bond over their circumstances and a desire to be free from them. Shelby started wondering if there was anything more to their relationship than a tragic bond though. Their intense bond worked for them in their teens and into their twenties, but what about when they were forty? She feared they would never move forward from their pasts because their relationship was built on it.

She wanted to see if he could stand on his own apart from her and vice versa. Their love was not entirely about loving the other as a person. They wanted acceptance, shelter, and healing, which they found in each other. Both had come to Horizon bitter, wounded, and hiding secrets. They essentially burdened one another with the task of saving. It was a huge burden on a person, especially when one needing saving themselves. Their pasts bound them together to the point of being a determent. They could hardly function without each other.

Their bond was still strong but their paths started slowly diverging. As Shelby healed, she began looking less to the past and more to the future. Shelby's healing progressed leaps and bounds once she revealed the abuse and stood up to her stepfather. She still had a long road to self-acceptance, but she saw the future containing endless possibilities for a new life. She embraced the unknown future.

Scott, on the other hand, was frightened of the unknown. His abuse was murkier than Shelby's abuse. Shelby's abuse started young. Her childhood innocence taken away from a terrifying monster, which led to her running away, acting out, and becoming promiscuous. As a social worker, Shelby realized her abuse was by the textbook, including grooming, threats, and manipulation.

Scott faced different obstacles concerning his abuse. He was a confident young adult when his abuse began. There were people who didn't understand how a male of his age and stature could be abused by a woman. Scott feared if people knew of his abuse, they would judge him. Question why he didn't fight her or tell his dad. They would think he was weak or stupid. Manipulation, grooming, and threats were also used by Elaine, but some people wouldn't think of those things. Elaine used Scott's letters as tactic to convince the judge Scott had seduced her. She made it seem as if he had been the manipulator. Thankfully, the judge saw through her lies and looked at other evidence. Scott was proven innocent, but the damage was done.

He clung to a more innocent time. Unlike Shelby, he had an idyllic childhood and pre-teen years. It was those times he held onto while Shelby focused on the future. He wanted to recreate the past but with Shelby. Shelby wanted to move forward and create a future with Scott. Shelby could see Scott faltering in his healing. She could also see he was scared. Meanwhile, Scott watched as Shelby grew stronger and more confident.

All these things led to Shelby suggesting they take a break. Shelby's fatal error in her relationship with Scott wasn't taking a few years to focus on herself. The error was not taking the time to integrate Scott into her new life.

Scott reflected on his and Shelby's relationship to Juliette as they laid in a hammock in the backyard. He had found Juliette laying in the hammock in the dark. She was wrapped in blankets looking at the stars. It was past midnight and neither could sleep, so they both came outside to avoid waking anyone.

Juliette rested her head on his chest with an arm over his waist. He stroked her hair as he talked. "Seeing you today made me happy," he ended. The ending didn't align with his reflection, but it made Juliette smile. She sat up and suggested they try to sleep. Before going inside, Scott apologized for disregarding her fears over the e-mail and for asking her to sleep with him. Juliette squeezed his hand and told him she was sorry for walking out rather than talking through their issues.

The next morning, Scott found Juliette and Shelby drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. "They still print papers?" Scott asked looking over Shelby's shoulder. Shelby put the paper down and announced, "Daisy will be coming over to join our little Cliffhanger reunion. She can sleep on the couch or share the bed with me. She says she can make a grocery run and clean."

Scott immediately looked to Juliette. Shelby noticed and asked, "Is something wrong?" Juliette was growing tired of pretending everything was fine. "I'm just nervous about seeing her again, especially with everyone knowing about Auggie and me," she said.

"I know we weren't close. It was partly my fault, but if you ever want to talk about Auggie, I am here," Shelby told her. Scott listened as he poured his coffee. He was glad the two were getting along. Knowing both as adults, he figured they wouldn't clash as much as they did when they were in Horizon. Although to be fair, the two got along fairly well the last few months of their senior year.

Daisy was waiting for them at the hospital entrance. She wore a form fitting white t-shirt and yoga pants. Her thick, shoulder length hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She explained she drove over from an early morning yoga class. Juliette realized Daisy resembled a Tolkien elf with her sharp, delicate facial features. She could have been an extra on the set of _Lord of the Rings_. Scott noticed a small tattoo of a black rose on her upper wrist. She may do yoga and dress different, but she was still had her old inclinations.

After everyone settled into the waiting room and caught up, Scott went to visit his dad. The women went to the cafeteria for breakfast. Later, the three rotated visiting Martin. Juliette and Daisy decided on the day of surgery only Scott, Shelby, and Patricia should be at the hospital. It would be overwhelming to have everyone there. Jules and Daisy would clean and shop in preparation for Martin's return. While Shelby was with Martin and Scott, Daisy casually asked Juliette about Auggie and the planned reunion.

Juliette swallowed hard, fighting back tears. Spinning around from the window she was looking out of, she looked at Daisy with an intensity that startled Daisy.

"I am tired of Auggie! We ended on horrible terms, and I was an idiot for thinking I could see him again. I want nothing to do with my old life, and now, I'm being dragged back into it. When all this is over, I want to go back to being by myself. Alone. Away from you all. Scott came back into my life by circumstance. And he is the only person who is allowed to stay," Juliette said. She was heaving, trying to fight back the tears.

"You've been holding that in, haven't you?" Daisy observed, walking over and hugging Juliette.

Juliette ran a paper towel under cold water to put on her eyes. She was in the restroom trying to clean up the damage crying had done to her face. Mascara created a black lines down her cheeks. As she cleaned up, Daisy watched her in mirror. "You have feelings for Scott," Daisy stated suddenly. Juliette looked at Daisy's reflection, then turned around to look at her. She stared at Daisy for several seconds.

"I hate your intuitiveness," Juliette said, with a frown.

Daisy laughed and said, "Most people do."

"Just because you have feelings for someone, doesn't mean you always act on it," Juliette said.

"You two have been working together and living in close proximity for a year. But the giveaway was when you just said only Scott can stay in your life. You were always the one who encouraged us to be a group. You and Auggie must've ended on bad terms. So much so that you've avoided us. We tried contacting you, but we couldn't get your information. Not even from Peter and Sophie," Daisy told her.

"None of you expected it to last. In the end, it was my fault, as most of you expected it would be, but not in the way you all probably thought. And please don't tell Shelby about my feelings for Scott."

"It's not my place. She hasn't said anything, but she may know too."

The two were back in the waiting room when Scott and Shelby returned. Both looked through magazines, neither revealing what exchanged between them. Daisy decided to watch Scott. She was curious about his interactions with Juliette. Shelby suggested they take a walk around the hospital using a garden path.

Scott and Shelby walked ahead, while Jules and Daisy walked behind. "I assume Auggie guessed your feelings too?" Daisy asked.

"Yes, and then he called Katherine."

"Well, that was an immature thing to do. He really doesn't get a say in who you like or date. Not even if it's Scott."

"Well, he didn't get the memo. Besides, Auggie is emotion based like Scott and me."

"Hey!" Shelby shouted. The other two women had slowed down and didn't hear Shelby calling their names.

"What are you two talking about? We've been calling your names."

"Sorry. We were talking about the reunion," Daisy said.

"I'm going to get tea for Scott and me. Do you want some?" Shelby asked. They both wanted some too, so Daisy offered to go with her.

Juliette quietly walked alongside Scott. "It's chilly, but it's a nice sunny day," Scott commented. Jules nodded. Scott turned and faced Jules. "Is something wrong?" he asked. He noticed a change in her demeanor.

"Scott," Juliette said gently, "focus on your father."

Scott put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them. "Yes, but I want you to be okay too. I hope you'd tell me," he told her. She debated whether to tell him, but the more she stalled, the more he knew something was upsetting her.

"Daisy knows I have feelings for you. I accidently confirmed her suspensions when I told her I basically wanted nothing to with any of the Cliffhangers expect you," she admitted.

"I'm honored I get to stay," he laughed, pulling her into a hug. He buried his face into her hair.

"Umm…sorry to interrupt…" Daisy had come back to ask what kind of tea Jules wanted. Scott and Jules quickly separated. "Black tea with honey…please," Jules quickly said.

"I guess you now know the feelings mutual. And I don't know what the hell Shelby and I even are, so I don't know if being interested in Jules is technically cheating or not. We didn't want anyone to know because you all are going to have opinions on the subject…like Auggie did. We wanted to figure out some major issues before we got bombarded with questions and opinions," Scott explained to Daisy.

"Hey, I get it. I kept telling Shelby to stop taking her time, but you do need to tell Shelby," Daisy told Scott.

The day of Martin's surgery, Juliette and Daisy bought groceries and cleaned the house. Daisy kept wanting to ask Jules more about Scott and Auggie but didn't want to be nosey. "Why did you and Auggie break up?" Daisy finally asked looking at Juliette in a way that made the latter's defenses weak.

It was a breaking point for Juliette. "I may not be able to have children. I have fertility issues caused by my bulimia. Once the fertility diagnose was known, Auggie and I started trying to have a baby. We eventually stopped trying, and Auggie moved back home. He broke up with me because he wanted children. I became self-destructive and had to have Peter and Sophie put me back together…yet again," Juliette said. Daisy wrapped Jules in a side hug, for once not knowing what to say.

Juliette continued, "I decided to focus on my future, so I cut ties with almost everyone from my past. I became a career woman. And even though I was lonely, I was content. Then, of all the things to happen, I started working with Scott. At first, I kept my distance and remained professional towards him. I was able to see the man he had become and slowly started interacting with him on a more personal level. We have mutual friends and the time spent together became more frequent. One day, I realized I genuinely cared for him. It happened so subtly."

Juliette crawled under the bed covers and tried focusing on her book. She struggled with something else. The night she left Scott, she thought about his question to her that night. Upon further thinking, she realized she did want to be intimate with Scott, especially since she might not ever get another chance.

She was still convinced she had Scott would not end up together. She didn't want to go through life wondering about the "what-ifs." If she wasn't going to be with Scott in the long run, then maybe she could be intimate with him at least once. To experience the kind of intimacy she hadn't experienced in so long with someone she cared deeply about.

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on her door. Scott stopped by to ask about her day and told her his dad was doing well. He had called earlier to say the operation had been successful. He left before she was awake and wanted to see her at least once before he went to sleep.

"I like your hair braided to the side like that," he complimented. She shyly grinned and gathered strength to look up at him. Scott told her to wait and shut the door. He quietly came back in with wine filled glasses. She questioned him.

"It's been a year since the business dinner where I first saw you again," he shared. So it had been a year.

"I wanted to tell you that whether you take the job or not, you are an asset to any company. It's been a pleasure and an honor working with you. Despite the romantic feelings, you are first and foremost my friend," Scott whispered, with tears brimming in his eyes.

"Scott, it's been an honor to work with you and to see what a wonderful man you are. You've become my best friend."

"Cheers," they both whispered holding up their glasses. Scott had gotten her a gift too. He had bought it weeks ago, so it was in Pasadena.

She leaned over and touched his face. She wanted to hold him as lovers held one another but instead told him to get some rest after his busy day. As she watched him walk down the dark hall, she suddenly thought of lines from Shakespeare; "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow."

Note: Scott will have be torn, but it would be too predictable for him to get into a conflicted love triangle. It's romantic to pine for someone for eternity, but that's not how it always works. I have lots of issues in the story to start resolving!


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

I do not own _Higher Ground_ or any of its characters. I own the character of Patrica.

Daisy gave up cleaning downstairs and sat on the coach with a glass of wine instead. She wasn't sure how she felt about Scott and Juliette liking each other. Part of her didn't care, but not caring made her feel like she was betraying Shelby. She and Shelby talked about Scott throughout the years. Shelby seemed hesitant over the years to recommit to Scott.

Daisy watched as Shelby exceled in college and work. Looking ahead, Shelby relished her freedom and new found successes. She didn't go wild, but she worked hard, traveled, and socialized. Their mutual friends and her own friends never clued in on her being a former teenage prostitute or druggie. Even at Horizon, Daisy thought Shelby would be one of the success stories.

As much as Shelby confided in her, Shelby was still a secretive person. Well, maybe more of a mystery. She kept things to herself, especially issues she was still processing. She liked to do things on her own and then let others in after she had internally assessed the situation. Daisy was left wondering if Shelby feared Scott would bring her back into the pit of despair he seemed to be constantly hovering near.

Shelby wanted Scott to show he was capable of moving forward and not live in the past. Daisy pointed out that Shelby was part of the past, so if he moved completely on, then they would be never get back together. Daisy also reminded Shelby that his sadness was probably tied to her reluctance to be with him.

Daisy was there when Shelby struggled accepting Scott's other relationships. Despite not officially dating, they did occasionally have sex together. Something Daisy didn't think was a good idea but didn't say openly. Their hook-ups stopped once Scott started dating Charlotte.

They both mocked Charlotte as being peppy and preppy like Juliette until they met her once. She was lovely, gentle, and caring, which made Shelby nervous. After Scott's break-up with Charlotte, he declared he was going to remain single and focus on work. He kept his word, and Daisy noted Shelby seemed more relax. Perhaps fate was going to keep the possibility open.

Shelby started school again to be a detective and was one of the best student's in her class. Daisy heard through the grapevine the city was going to offer Shelby a job. Shelby was already a well-known social worker who advocated hard for her children. Adult Shelby reminded Daisy of Sophie. With everything going on in her life, she continued putting Scott aside.

Shelby told Daisy over a year ago that Scott seemed to be doing very well. At work, yes, but Daisy wondered about emotionally. Was he sitting around waiting for Shelby to make the first move? He had learned not to push Shelby into doing something she wasn't ready to do.

Neither Shelby nor Daisy ever expected Juliette to enter into the picture. Certainly not work related. Juliette didn't have Shelby's 1950's All American beauty, but she was striking. She had grown into her angular, sharp features. Always the princess of the Cliffhanger girls, she had an air of je ne sais quoi like Audrey Hepburn…or Charlotte.

Daisy suspected Shelby had said or done something to end Scott and Charlotte's relationship. Shelby saw Scott three months before his relationship ended. Daisy never asked Shelby about it and knew better than to ask. Shelby would tell her in her own time and in her own way.

Her musings were interrupted by Juliette flouncing down the stairs with a bucket and a grin. The bathrooms and floors were cleaned, so she was going to the grocery store. Daisy admitted to not cleaning and offered to go instead. Juliette decided to take a nice warm bath and read _Outlander_. At least someone was having romance.

Juliette didn't read much though. Instead she thought of Scott but in a happy way. Not the worrisome drama associated with him. After her bath, she wanted to be in a more comfortable place.

Scott returned to look for insurance information for his dad. Even in the hospital, his dad was the ever prepared businessman. After ransacking his dad's room, he finally found what his dad wanted.

Once in the hall, he heard noises. The noises sounded muted. He walked down the hall listening for the source. The end of the hall led directly to the guest room Juliette was in and the location of the noises. He opened the door and startled Juliette. She yelped and pulled the covers to her chin. Her face crimson. "Get out! Get out now!" she yelled.

Scott pulled the door shut but was unable to move. He felt a warm blush come to his own cheeks. He stood there deciding what he should do next. Juliette flung the door open and went into the bathroom. She avoided eye contact and was still red faced. He forced his way into the bathroom wanting to address what he had seen. He also wanted to alleviate her embarrassment.

She didn't fight him but looked down as she stood at the sink. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Many people do it. I do," he sputtered. Still no response. "Juliette, please," he leaned over trying to make eye contact with her. She turned her head away from him.

"Oh you want to be like that, eh?" he teased before tickling her. He got the response he wanted as she twisted in his arms and squealed with laughter. She thrashed on the ground laughing before he stopped essentially torturing her. "You know better than to be embarrassed with me," he said looking down at her.

She sat up and looked him in the eyes. "I was thinking of you," she admitted.

"I think of you too."

He found her too attractive for his own good. Her lips parted as if she was anticipating something. "I have to…get back to the hospital," he stuttered. The desire her felt towards her sometimes could be so intense it made him physically ache.

He gripped the steering wheel as he drove back to his dad. He stretched to relieve the tension in his shoulders. Since their relationship felt forbidden, Scott often felt he was verging on an illicit affair rather than simply being a man attracted to a woman.

Juliette was right to stall or stop any physical intimacy. It would create a euphoria, which would further cloud his thinking. He had two major things to figure out-Shelby and his stance on children. He didn't need hazy desire to add to the confusion. The problem was the desire was already there though. It was his fault back there, and he would need to reassure her that she had done nothing wrong.

When Scott returned to the hospital, he found Peter and Sophie visiting his dad. He was still tense from his interactions with Juliette and hoped they wouldn't notice. He was easy to read after all. His former teachers were surprised Juliette was in town too. He explained their work ties. Both were glad to hear Jules was doing well. Sophie and Peter soon left to find Shelby and Patricia.

Once alone, Martin asked how Juliette was doing since she was relatively new, at least to the group as it was now. Scott said she was doing fine. "It's funny because I remember her from Horizon. It was her smile. She has a nice smile," Martin noted. Scott told him Juliette and Susan hit it off well when they had met. His mom and Jules used to send each other Christmas cards for years, but then, Juliette went silent. Scott learned it was around the time she and Auggie were trying to have a baby.

"It's nice to see her again," Martin said, "It was also very nice of her to come here."

Scott looked suspiciously at his dad. "Peter and Sophie asked if you and Shelby had spent any time together. Patricia suggested you two go on a date tomorrow night. Has anyone asked if you and Juliette are together? I know I'm curious," his dad said, getting to his point.

"It's complicated," Scott answered.

"I know I've meddled before. It was an overcorrection of what happened to you when I failed to notice the signs, but not everything has to be complicated. Perhaps go on the date for closure or to reopen a door but make a decision. You either aren't ready to move on from Shelby or you are ready. You probably already know but are scared to hurt someone. Make a decision and learn from your mistakes," Martin advised his son.

For the first time in his life, Scott felt his dad understood him. "Juliette may not be able to have children," Scott told his dad. Patricia and Shelby suddenly came in to say goodbye. Scott didn't want to overwhelm is dad, so he left too.

Patricia convinced Peter and Sophie to stay overnight at her place. They could have dinner at Martin's place with the others. They roasted hotdogs and s'mores over a fire and recounted old stories mixed with new ones. Scott looked around for Juliette and saw her up by the house. She watched the group before going inside. Scott excused himself and went to talk to her. It was the first time he had seen her since the moment in the bathroom. He had wanted to speak to her in person.

He found her packing since she was flying out the next day. He sat down on the bed and took her hands in his. "You didn't do anything wrong. I left because you are right about not adding another complication until we figure everything out. It would've been easy to cave in then," he said.

She looked brokenhearted but then started laughing softly. "It's ironic. I started thinking I should be with you in every way while I had the chance. I was going to offer myself to you as an anniversy gift. I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I see my time with you dwindling," she told him.

She continued, "It's silly. I don't know what I expected you to do. Be with me before talking Shelby. You're right…I was right. "

"Don't do this to me. Don't say goodbye."

"It's no longer about Shelby. It's about giving you the chance to have kids and have them easily. You've had to overcome so much. You don't need to be with someone who will make having kids a huge ordeal. And I may never have them. You need to be with someone normal, stable, and can give you everything you want. I'm not being dramatic or fearful. I…care…" she trailed off and ended.

Don't go," he pleaded, wrapping his arms around her waist and looking up at her. She kissed him and slowly pushed him back onto the bed. Her hair hiding them from the world like a dark, silk curtain. She ran her hands along his chest and leaned into him. His hands moved along her back and waist. He tucked her hair to the side to look at her, then kissed her neck. She titled her head to give him better access.

After they kissed a few times, she got off of him. They stared silently at each other. They kept wavering back and forth. Now Scott was willingly to cross boundaries and she was hesitant again. Sophie gently knocked and opened the door. She wanted to see if Juliette was okay since she had been gone for a long time. Sophie evaluated the scene before her. The two looked somber, almost sad. Scott sat on the bed, while Juliette stood nearby with her arms crossed.

"Is everything okay?" Sophie asked. She figured something was going on between them but didn't want to outright ask in case she offended them.

"I was packing, and Scott and I were discussing business," Juliette spoke first.

"Yeah, boring stuff. Let's go eat some s'mores," Scott added. Sophie wasn't convinced but she played along.

The next morning the group gathered at Patricia's house for one last breakfast together. Sophie and Peter were driving back to Horizon soon, and Juliette was flying home in the afternoon. During their meal, Shelby stepped outside to take a work call. While she was outside, Patricia brought up the idea that Shelby and Scott should go on a date tonight. Both Sophie and Daisy looked towards Juliette as discretely as they could. They noticed her jaw tensed and her eyes became laser focused on her coffee cup. She swallowed hard.

"I think it's a great idea," Peter chimed in, agreeing with Patricia.

"Peter…" Sophie cautioned.

"Sophie, I think they need to do this. They had a good thing going and shouldn't throw it all away," Peter countered. Sophie and Peter both advocated Scott and Shelby to end up together, but Sophie didn't want to disregard Juliette now that she knew there was something between the two.

"Everyone wants you and Shelby to be together. You two obviously haven't found anyone else. I know you came here to see your dad, but here's your chance to possibly be with Shelby again," Patricia told Scott.

"Stop it!" Daisy yelled. Everyone froze. "People don't like when a woman's autonomy is taken away from her, yet here you are doing it to Scott. Let him decide. Because it's been 10 years," Daisy stated.

"For what it's worth, I think you should go on a date with her," Juliette put in softly, looking at Scott.

"I'll think about it. End of discussion," Scott gruffly said. Everyone knew not to push the issue when he was agitated. Patricia and Peter were both upset he was being reluctant to go on a date with Shelby. She was still the same loving, understanding Shelby.

Daisy cornered Sophie as she was putting her luggage in her truck. "Why did you look at Juliette whenever Patricia suggested the date?" Daisy asked but already knew the answer. She confirmed Sophie's suspicions about Juliette and Scott. Both agreed Scott, Shelby, and Juliette needed to sort it out without other's input. Sophie suggested Daisy contact Auggie and tactfully tell him to stay out of it.

After Peter and Sophie left, Scott offered to drive Juliette to the airport, but she had already called a cab. While waiting for her ride, she went out to the lake. Shelby and Daisy went for a run, so the two were left alone. Scott watched the sun hit her long hair and realized she had natural red highlights. Like garnet.

Scott thought about his dad's words to him. He was scared. He knew that part already though. If Shelby's actual person was no longer a source of comfort to him, the memory of their teenage relationship was still comforting. Juliette was part of the unknown. Their relations might fail, or they might not meet each other's expectations. What if they no had strong basis for a relationship outside of desire? If they got into a fight, would he yearn for Shelby? If she got snarky with him, would he forgot Shelby did the same thing and painted Shelby as a saint?

He looked up and noticed Juliette was staring at him. He pictured himself walking up to her and passionately kissing her. Taking her upstairs and exploring every part of her. No shame. No restrictions. His pulse quickened as she walked up the path towards him.

"My cab's here."

He turned around to see her cab waiting in front of the house. "Goodbye. Thank you for letting me stay here. I'll see you in Pasadena. My decision on the job is slowly running out, so I'll talk to you about it again soon," she said.

She turned around and added, "Peter's right. You two have too much history not to go on a date with Shelby."

"I'll see you again, won't I?" he worriedly asked.

"I said we would," she gave him a reassuring smile and climbed into the cab.

Daisy and Shelby received texts from Juliette telling them goodbye. While Daisy showered, Shelby pondered to Scott if Jules would change her mind about the reunion. During a conversation lull, Scott nonchalantly asked Shelby if she wanted to do something fun tonight like go bowling or the movies. Shelby said she driving home soon to get ready for work the next day.

She asked if he was going to the reunion and suggested they do something then. He wasn't planning on going, but Shelby told him he should go to it. "You should get Jules to come too, so she can maybe get some kind of closure," Shelby added. "We'll see" was Scott's answer.

After everyone had left, he went to the hospital to see his dad again. His dad pounced on the Juliette issue soon after Scott's arrival. Being stuck in the hospital with no work to do had given Martin time to think. Scott admitted he had no inclinations for children until faced with the possibility of not having them. He assumed he would have them because it's what people did in society.

"At thirty-two, your feelings probably won't change drastically in ten years. Your mother and I loved you but were never children people, even after we had you. I know this may sound harsh since you are my child, but our lives would have gone on fine even without having you. Life continues and you adjust to life with kids and vice versa," his dad told him.

After giving Scott time to process, his dad continued, "There are other ways to be a father. Look at Peter and Sophie. You can adopt, be a foster parent, or do volunteer work. Heck, you can even be an open donor. You can find fulfillment elsewhere. You may occasionally experience a sense of loss and grieve the missed opportunities. I feel it for your mom and Patricia from time to time, but it doesn't mean I want to go back to a life with them."

Several seconds passed and Scott laughed. "You have a heart attack and suddenly gain 100 years of wisdom," he teased his dad.

"Wisdom is something I've lacked, so I guess that's the silver lining," his dad chuckled.

His dad was to be released from the hospital soon, so Scott left Tuesday to go back to work. Scott left in a better mood feeling his dad and he had repaired some of their relationship.

Note: I'm torn now if I want Scott and Juliette together. I created two possible endings and waver on them depending on my mood.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

I do not _Higher Ground_ or any of its characters. I don't own _My Fair Lady_ or its characters.

Note 1: To any readers out there, we are approaching our landing (i.e. the end); only a few more chapters. This chapter is short, but I wanted to move the story along and add more character development. Sorry for any grammatical errors. I wrote it quickly while I still had time to write.

Juliette looked at her reflection in the mirror. She wore her new emerald green slip dress. Low cut and form fitting, she felt as if she stepped back into the 1930's. She pulled her hair back into a loose, high pony tail and covered her arms with stage make-up since the dress had spaghetti straps. The final touch was dark red lipstick. She went light on the rest of the make-up and accessories so she didn't look overdone.

Tonight Josh and Brett were throwing a party in honor of her new job. She had accepted the position at Scott's company. The day after she returned from work, her bosses called her into a conference room and told her the new offer was a golden opportunity to advance. They didn't have a high turnover in the company and didn't foresee higher positions opening anytime soon. No one was expected to retire for several years. She had a part in getting Scott's company off the ground and could continue to showcase her talent by being part of a growing, successful company.

Of course, there was the personal aspect of the job offer. When and if Scott got back together with Shelby, she would have to suffer being at the same place for hours with him. Thankfully, he was in a different unit, and she wouldn't see him much unless there was a project. Ultimately though, she didn't want Scott to hinder her. She didn't want to shy away from an opportunity because of her personal life.

On Thursday at Scott's company staff meeting, it was announced Juliette had taken the job. Juliette walked into the room to welcoming cheers and applause. She blushed and waved back nervously to her new coworkers. Scott stood to the side clapping. She couldn't read his face and wondered how he felt about her decision. She hoped he didn't feel slighted for not being consulted in her decision. It was still going to be two weeks before she started, but the company wanted to start integrating her.

She gave a brief speech, was introduced to new employees, and caught-up with ones she had met when she briefly worked there. Eventually, she was brought to her new office. She sat at her desk. As happy as she was about her new job, she was overwhelmed by the sudden change. Everyone was nice here, but she would miss working for quality bosses like at her old company. She would miss Josh, although he was waiting for openings to join her.

She heard someone clear their throat and looked away from the window. She was wondering when Scott would find her. Given their friendship, Scott had been sent to deliver her gifts. He removed roses from a cart and put them on her desk. He placed a bottle of champagne next to the roses followed by a box of premier chocolates. He gave her a beautiful placard with her name on it. Finally, he produced two smaller gifts from his inner suit pockets. They were his gifts to her.

The one he had bought earlier for their "one year anniversary" of becoming reacquainted was a nice silver pen with her name engraved on it. The second was a present for her new job. The small box held garnet stud earrings. Juliette looked at them, then at him. "They're not practical, I know," Scott acknowledged. He took one from the box.

"They look dark, almost black," he said, then walked to the window and held it in the sunlight. He continued, "But when you hold it in the light, it looks red. This may sound creepy that I noticed, but your hair does the same thing. Seeing your hair in the sun made me think of the stone." He hoped he didn't come across as weird.

"When you're infatuated, you notice things like that. Like I notice what colors look good on you. And the light at dusk brings out your hair and eyes," she said in a far away voice. She broke her trance and asked how his date with Shelby went. He said they didn't go on one, but maybe they would do something if he went to the reunion. They hadn't talked yet either.

On hearing he didn't go on a date, she smiled and made eye contact with him. There was still time to be with him.

Grabbing the host gift, Juliette was almost out the door for her party when she realized she forgot something. She ran to her room and put on her new earrings. They were the reason she pulled her hair back.

Josh and Brett lived in a huge house tucked away in the hills. A perk of Brett being a surgeon. A handmade banner with "Congratulations, Juliette!" hung over the balcony. As she was taking a picture of it, Brett and Josh came out to welcome the belle of the ball. They stuck a dainty tiara on her head. Once inside, she spotted Scott inside talking to Jeremy and Mr. Henderson. All three turned their attention to her. Jeremy greeted her with a big hug. "You look gorgeous!" he told her. Mr. Henderson greeted her warmly and the two chatted while Jeremy and Scott went to find Josh.

After an hour, the lights suddenly went out and a sheet cake with candles rolled out of the kitchen on a cart. "Before the dancing begins and the drinking continues, let's hear it for Ms. Waybourne on her new job!" Josh declared.

Mr. Henderson remembered she was a good dancer and danced several songs with her. Jeremy cut in and danced a song with her. He asked about her and Scott. She caught him up on recent events. He already knew about Martin and had called Scott when he was in Washington. "I think you ought to go to the reunion and face them all, especially Auggie. Besides, even if you don't end up with Scott, a woman like you won't stay single forever," he said, encouraging her.

Her mother and social circle taught her being the center of attention was good. Horizon and Auggie's social circle taught her being the center of attention was vain. She decided being overly social was bad. Since it was instilled in her from childhood, it leaked out at social events though. So she was the life of tonight's party. She smiled, laughed, joked, and chatted with everyone. She danced the night away, flirted with those deemed safe to flirt with, and genuinely wanted to socialize.

Scott wanted to dance and interact with Jules. She was relishing the party, and it showed in her liveliness and charm. When her insecurities didn't restrain her, she was a natural extrovert. He wanted to join in her happiness but he didn't want his coworkers to be suspicious. People looked down on fraternizing…unless they were the ones doing it. He didn't want people to think badly of Juliette.

Almost five hours later, the party dwindled down and ended. Brett and Josh allowed several guests to stay the night at their home with Juliette getting the pool house to herself. Scott found Juliette sitting by herself by the pool. Her hair was falling down and her eyes sparkled with happiness. "Enjoyed yourself tonight, princess?" he teased.

"I haven't been that carefree since I acted reckless when Auggie broke up with me. Except I used more restraint tonight. Partying isn't something I want to do regularly, but it was nice. Did you have fun?" she asked after answering his question.

"I did. It was really nice to see Jeremy and Mr. Henderson too."

"I wore your earrings."

"They're your earrings now. I better go to sleep. In one of the hundred rooms they have."

"Goodnight."

Scott saw she wasn't moving and asked if she was going to stay up all night.

"I can't sleep. I feel like Eliza in _My Fair Lady_. I could dance all night and still beg for more," she said, smiling dreamily. Her happiness put a spell over Scott. He wanted to be carefree too. She stood up and held out her hand for him to dance with her.

"Let's pretend we're in a musical," she suggested. After an awkward start, they moved and twirled smoothly around the pool. They agreed on a tune to sing softly together. Both laughed and smiled. Neither caring if anyone saw them.

"I didn't think I'd get a moment like this with you again," she said when they had stopped.

She loved him. She told herself and him that she "cared" and "had feelings" for him. It was more than those elements, and she finally admitted it to herself in that moment. She wasn't going to tell him though. She didn't want to confuse or overwhelm him. Perhaps it was the magic of the moment heightening everything. The realization saddened her too though.

Reality came back to her, and she realized his face was near hers. They were slowly dancing in circles. How many romantic moments were they going to have while never addressing anything. How many opportunities for passion were they going to let pass them. They were going in circles, and it was driving her crazy.

"When is the Horizon reunion?" she asked thinking of Jeremey's words. Scott was glad she asked because he was probably going to now due to Mr. Henderson overhearing him and Jeremy talking about it. Mr. Henderson thought it was a marvelous idea for the company to do volunteer work. He suggested the company even donate money to the little mountain school for troubled youth. "Focus on the youth, I say," was Mr. Henderson's sudden motto. Jeremy pointed out it wasn't in California, so they wouldn't get a tax break. Mr. Henderson would see if there were any loopholes, perhaps getting a federal tax break instead. Henderson assumed Scott had chosen the school because Scott was from the region, completely forgetting his conversation with the three in San Francisco. Furthermore, he wanted Juliette to go too. She was going to be in PR and this would be a good time to expand their name on the west coast. Scott suspected Henderson also had a slight crush on Jules.

"How much business can be done at Horizon? Troubled kids don't care about businesses, nor should they when they have other things to worry about," Juliette said.

"You're forgetting many rich people send their kids to Horizon. Us for example," Scott pointed out to her. Juliette didn't want to be forced into going to the reunion, especially on business. She voiced her hope Henderson would forget or change his mind, but Scott knew Henderson followed through with his spontaneous plans.

"You can always tell Henderson you don't want to go because you don't want to see your old classmates," Scott teased. They shouldn't have been embarrassed for being from Horizon, but they all knew they'd be judged or viewed differently if people knew. Peter and Sophie had even talked about it before they graduated.

Scott apologized for dousing cold water on her perfect evening. "At least I'll have time to mentally prepare," she said. Scott was worried what the preparation all entailed.

"Perhaps before we go, we can be together?" she asked. She was looking away from him. He wanted to tell her to stop being negative, but he knew he wasn't completely sure about them as a couple yet. He also still processing his dad's words about children.

Note 2: I apologize for any business errors. (I don't want characters committing tax fraud. If it's wrong, just be relieved I don't work in business).


	13. Chapter 13

Ch. 13

I do not own _Higher Ground_ or any of its characters. I own Jeremy.

(Note: I normally don't like writing overt, angsty drama. I like it more subtle, but I figured what the heck. It's my story! Beside, there was angst in the show as well.)

Scott faced a moral dilemma. He wanted to be with her and saw this night as an opportunity. The other part of him was worried it would further complicate things.

"Not yet," he told her. He watched her face fall in disappointment. He felt disappointed too. Taking the high road could be such a pain sometime. He barely slept as he imagined everything they could've done. He also worried she was hurt by his rejection. His conscience reminded him he needed to contact Shelby. He had missed a prime opportunity to talk to her, and he continued to delay the conversation.

The Cliffhanger reunion was in early May. Scott struggled deciding whether to talk to Shelby before or at the reunion. Shelby had told him they would do something together at the reunion. He owed her that much…yet, he didn't owe her anything. He grew resentful thinking about how much he let Shelby and his feelings for her control his life over the years. The time he wasted waiting and the people he hurt while trying to move on with his life.

The next morning, Scott found everyone lounging by the pool. Upon seeing him, Josh offered him coffee and a mimosa. Juliette was laying out in her green dress. Her hair was down, and she wore shades making her look like a starlet. She patted a seat next to her. Scott felt relief by the invitation. Jeremy came out with two coffees. He gave one to Juliette and his cup to Scott. He went back in for another cup. Jules told Scott that Jeremy was coming to the reunion with them. Jeremy would oversee the business side of their visit.

The months leading to the reunion, Scott noticed a distancing of himself and Juliette. The last few months were the least amount of interaction they had since they first worked together. Scott figured Juliette was adjusting to her new job, but he also noticed he was the one who had to contact her first to communicate with her. Deep down, he knew why. It hurt being separated from her, but it also gave him time to think.

Three weeks before the reunion, Juliette and Scott were to create a strategy to promote their business at Horizon. They had the added burden of making it the least intrusive since they were going to Horizon as former students and not solely business people. To them, it was almost callous to overlook the students by discussing business with their parents. They consoled themselves with the fact the company was donating a check to the school and could discuss their business then. They decided they would have to burden Jeremy with the business role.

Furthermore, the company decided to send the three of them to Seattle for three days to do business there with some other companies. The two had to figure out the Seattle visit as well. Jeremy arrived two weeks before the reunion to help them. To Scott's annoyance, Juliette saw most of the early planning could be done by e-mail and phone calls between them with Jeremy as a middleman. He thought maybe his rejection of Jules the night of her party had affected their relationship after all.

Juliette knew she probably needed to explain to Scott why they hadn't interacted a lot lately. Part of her wanted to reassure him she still cared for him, even tell him she loved him. The other part was tired and frustrated. She was tired of the back and forth with them, including her own actions. She was also tired of him dragging his feet with Shelby. His reluctance to talk to Shelby, especially when given the chance in Washington, was a bad sign. As for rejecting her advances, she understood and let any resentment go after the initial hurt faded.

Jules invited Jeremy to get some fruit from a street vendor near their company. She wanted to go over what they had planned so far. Scott rubbed his eyes after just finishing a potential company pitch he was going to run by Juliette and Jeremy later. He looked out the window and saw the two walking to the fruit vendor. He felt a surge of jealously towards Jeremy. He wondered if Jeremy only wanted to come to Horizon so he could be closer to Jules. Perhaps Jeremy wanted Scott and Shelby to get back together at the reunion. Then, when Juliette became upset, he would be there to console her. After mulling over these scenarios, Scott felt guilty. Jeremy was one of his best friends, and perhaps Juliette would be better off with him. He was one of the best people Scott had met.

After discussing the plan, Juliette and Jeremy talked about the personal part of the trip. Juliette explained to Jeremy why she had minimized her contact with Scott. She asked Jeremy if she was handling it the right way. Jeremy understood where she was coming from but thought she should talk to Scott. Jeremy agreed it had been a year and things needed to be proceed.

Juliette laughed, "It must be exhausting for you to watch us go around in circles. Well, welcome to Horizon!" Jeremy smiled and said, "If it's exhausting for me, I really feel for the rest of you. Like being on a carnival ride you can't get off of." The last few months had been hard on Juliette. She missed her old company despite loving her new one. She was anxious about the upcoming reunion. Due to her frustrations, she didn't look to Scott for comfort, so she was glad to seemingly have an ally in Jeremy.

Jeremy was right though. It was time she stopped avoiding talking to Scott. Juliette knocked on Scott's office door to bring him the fruit she got him. She also asked him if he would have time to meet later. They were entering the part of the planning where they needed to meet in person. Scott wasn't able to meet until the end of the workday, but both were willingly to stay at work late.

Juliette stopped editing the itinerary for the Seattle companies and looked at Scott. His face serious as he typed. His eye met hers. He needed to tell her. Warn her about what might be waiting for her at Horizon. He wasn't sure how she would react.

When they were done, Scott walked Jules to her car since there were few vehicles left in the parking lot. He watched her drive off and remembered their months of working together when he first moved to Pasadena. He tried to imagine his life without her. If he went back to Shelby, he would learn to love her again. The passion could be revived. However, he was sure to loose Juliette. Her bubbly nature wasn't what he wanted or needed as a sullen teenager. As an adult, he appreciated her vivaciousness.

Juliette received a message from Scott asking if he could stop by her place and talk. She was on the verge of a panic attack when her doorbell rang. She looked at her door in panic. Maybe she should have cleaned or put on make-up. Scott saw the worry and concern in her eyes. He thought she looked lovely without any make-up on and her hair down, unadorned. He slid his hands along her jawline and around the back her neck. He kissed her forehead. She relaxed at this gesture.

Juliette didn't have any dinner ready but offered to make a homemade stir-fry or some pasta. He declined the offer. Scott knew she was nervous and was trying to stay busy. Scott said her name gently but loud enough for her to hear. She came out of the kitchen and sat down next two him. He noticed she was wearing the Horizon sweatshirt. To put her at ease, they talked nonchalantly about her new job. Taking Jeremy's advice, she told him why she avoided him. Her explanation allowed him to explain tonight's visit.

He wrote to Shelby telling her they needed to talk about their relationship at the reunion. He also told Shelby that he and Juliette liked each other. After reading his e-mail, Juliette was speechless. He finally did it. It was surreal, and it made her uncomfortable. As crazy as it was, she was in a comfort zone. The constant loop between her and Scott had been a place she had gotten used to. She may not have Scott completely, but she hadn't lost him yet either. The answer was not final yet. There was still hope. Now everything had been finally set into motion.

Before they knew it, the reunion was upon them. First, they had to visit Seattle. Juliette's therapist gave her Xanax to help her stay calm. She needed to focus on her work, but her anxiety was high. She always felt like her mother when she had to take Xanax. Her mother used to tell Juliette she drove her to take medication.

Juliette and Jeremy got stuck in traffic after they left the company they visited. Scott was visiting another business and would meet them later. While sitting there, Jeremy looked at Jules and wondered aloud how she ever ended up in a place like Horizon. Juliette looked annoyed, so he quickly apologized. She explained it was a question she had heard often. If money could buy happiness, then she would have never gone to Horizon. Her mother's verbal and emotional abuse would have been overlooked with all the material possessions given to her.

She explained to Jeremy the bulimia and cutting, knowing he was going to ask the source of her behavior. Her mother took her frustrations out on her. Juliette had been a naturally good and malleable child. Always a control freak, her mother took advantage of her daughter's personality. Her mother prayed on rich but weak willed men. He father being one of them. When an easier catch came along, he mother left her dad. Her father being weak, cowered down to her mother's demands to see little of Juliette. Growing up, Juliette never had a steady father figure in her life. Much less a strong, reliable one. Her mother told her they only had each other.

Juliette's therapist once said her mother might have felt threatened by Juliette. As she grew older, her mother probably saw her as competition for attention and sought to control it. She belittled Juliette ever chance she got and turned everything around to come across as the victim to her daughter's "behavior."

There had also been small instances of physical abuse. When she was seven, she was being silly on the piano instead of taking her lesson seriously. Her mother asked the teacher to speak with Juliette alone. Her mother walked over to Juliette pounding on the keys and slammed the cover down on her fingers. Another time, Juliette had danced too provocatively for her mother's liking. Her mother berated her and called her a stupid, little whore. Her mother tore her favorite dresses and proceeded to throw them and some shoes at her. Her mother "apologized" but told Juliette she had caused it. Juliette didn't want to be a bad daughter and promised to be better. Of course, she didn't tell anyone about these incidents. No one would believe her. None of it was real abuse.

People took their pain out in two ways: out on others or out on themselves. She took it on herself but as the pain grew, it leaked out into her life. Her behavior became more erratic. She couldn't tell anyone about her pain, but she hoped her behavior would be recognized as a cry for help. Selling diet pills and being hospitalized for overdosing on laxatives seemed to do the trick, and she was sent to Horizon. She was wrong though. She still couldn't trust anyone. They immediately viewed her as a poser and a drama queen without any real problems. Her only problem was she didn't get along with her mother. Parents could be difficult and controlling. It wasn't unusual. She was just weak. Even Auggie failed to fully understand, so she kept quiet. It was a lonely existence although she acted like she was happy and content. As a result, she was overlooked for the students with the more blatant and real problems. She left Horizon with more confidence and ammunition for her mother's abuse, but she was still essentially the same girl who arrived there.

Scott noticed his two friends were quiet on their drive to Horizon. They had rented an SUV and would make it to Agnes for dinner at Rusty's. Juliette was nervous about the trip, and Jeremy felt her pain. After she told him about her upbringing, he told him about his and his parents' abuse with alcohol. When drunk, they were combative and abusive. He eventually stopped drinking after he realized he was an alcoholic too. He didn't feel tempted anymore, but he stayed away from it altogether because he had absolutely no desire for it.

Scott told them 28 former Cliffhangers would be at the reunion. A high turnout. All of the Cliffhangers from their original group would be there with one possible exception- David. He hadn't been heard from. David was a fighter pilot in the military. After graduating, he started selling drugs for a few months before he was caught. He was kicked out of college and was facing jail time when his dad mysteriously bailed him out and stuck him the military. At first, David was angry and miserable, but the tight structure was good for him. They worked on getting his ADHD under control. With it managed, his cockiness made him a good candidate for pilot training. To everyone's surprise, he made it. He was a fighter pilot cliché; cocky, arrogant, confident, and married twice.

Ezra struggled off and on with drugs. He also struggled with keeping a steady job but was currently a computer technician. He was married to a plain, sweet woman named Jane. Having a son had kept him on track for three years. He still had abandonment issues and had little contact with his adoptive parents. He found his birth mother but discovered she had died from drug abuse complications. The silver lining was he had two half-brothers who were eager to meet him.

They finally arrived at Rusty's. Heads whipped around to stare at the three people in business suits. Agnes wasn't exactly the kind of place populated by people wearing business suits. They looked nervously about as they made their way to one of the three reserved Cliffhanger tables. The one with the people they knew at it.

"I feel like my mother in this suit," Juliette whispered. Scott could relate because he felt like his father.

To no surprise, they weren't greeted with a warm welcome. It was a subdued, unsure welcome by the group. They introduced Jeremy to the group who moved his way toward Auggie and Jennifer to say hello. To everyone's surprise David showed up to the reunion. He wrapped Jules in a hug, telling her she was still a babe. Juliette latched on to his friendless and asked him about his career as a fighter pilot. David was more than eager to talk about himself.

"She's opened a can of worms," Shelby said, giving Scott a small smile. The current batch of Horizon students were in awe of David's career. David's natural swagger and twisted charisma made him a popular former student. Peter and Sophie noted as David performed an imitation of his flying to the students the night before that not much had changed. He found what he was suited for and exceled at it, much like Shelby.

Scott sat down at the head of the table and surveyed the scene. Shelby and Daisy sat on either side of him and discussed work. Ezra sat quietly, while Katherine wrangled her two kids. Jules listened attentively as David chatted away about himself. Jeremy was engrossed in a conversation with Auggie. Scott said a silent prayer everything would go smoothly and no one would get too hurt or angry.

They were all staying at Horizon. Some of the current students were bunking in the lodge so the past Cliffhangers could stay in the cabins. Katherine and Peter decided to have the former students take the current ones on an overnight hike the next day. Each group would have two or three former Cliffhangers, along with significant others, leading the hike with the counselors making rounds to check on them. The former Cliffhangers would lead small group and one-on-ones therapy sessions with the students.

Briefly forgetting personal concerns, Scott worried about having to help students. He wasn't used to young people nor was he a licensed therapist. He worried about what to say and how to interact with them. Thankfully, jet lag and work exhausted him, so he passed out as he was worrying. Jeremy went to bed as soon as he got to the cabin and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Juliette did the same. Daisy rolled her eyes as soon as she saw Juliette's gel sleep mask.

The women staying in the Cliffhanger cabin jolted awake as Katherine blared bugle music through a speaker. "She's gotten worse," Shelby mumbled. Kat wanted them up at 5 am to give them time to pack and get their supplies ready. Students would be up at 6 am and everyone would head out at 8 am. Katherine asked Jess to make sure everyone was up while she marched to the boys' cabin. She repeated the wake-up process. She clapped and shouted for them to be ready. Jeremy looked horrified at first but went back to sleep as he wasn't a former student. He assumed he had gotten out of hiking. Misery loves company, so Scott took Jeremy's blanket and shoved him out of bed.

The adults were relieved to find coffee waiting for them. At least Peter wasn't making them relive their non-caffeinated teenage years. Jeremy's face puckered as he tasted the bitter coffee though; liquid tar. Juliette laughed before letting him in on a secret. She had brought gourmet ground coffee and a French press that could be used over fire. "Us city slickers need to stick together," she winked at Jeremy. Katherine announced she had posted groups and their leaders. Scott scanned the list. Sure enough, he was paired with Shelby. He saw Juliette was partnered with Auggie and Jennifer.

Katherine was in the shed counting backpacks one last time. Scott felt nostalgic stepping into the shed. He and Shelby had kissed and done a lot of other things in there. He and Juliette had shared their own intimate moments in there as well. Going further than they dared admit to anyone; being around Jules again had triggered some forgotten memories. He recalled being surprised by her firm butt and having a fuller chest than he expected. Felt over her clothes of course. Scott finally noticed Kat had stopped counting and was giving him a quizzical, "what are you smiling about?" look.

"Hey, Kat. Can you switch Juliette with someone else?" Scott asked.

"Juliette will be fine. I told Auggie to control his temper and watch what he says to her."

The disregard for Jules made the old Scott rear its head. The Scott that demanded things be done his way and on his terms. "I'm sorry if you thought I was asking. I was telling you. Move Juliette," he challenged Katherine. Always one to battle Scott's temper tantrums, Kat faced him.

"Juliette has to face him at some point. She needs closure. They both do," Katherine told him.

"You are naïve if you think that's what this visit is about for him. He had his chance for closure in San Francisco. You know what he wants to talk to her about," Scott growled. Katherine noted his voice was deeper and more intimidating. His voice didn't have the high pitch to it that made her want to laugh in his face when he became upset…and took his frustrations out on the group.

"You are cruel and sick if you keep her there. At least let Jeremy go with her," Scott continued.

"He's here to do business with the parents. Correct?" she asked sneeringly, "Besides, they'll to be too many in her group if Jeremy goes."

"Move Juliette, add Jeremy, or I will throw a fit until I get my way. I will refuse to go on the hike, and you know I'll do it," he hissed. Then he suddenly asked, "Did Peter make these groups?"

"No. I planned the groups. Peter did approve though."

"What a bastard. Well, I refuse to go."

Kat was shocked by his outburst against Peter. She realized Scott knew Juliette better than anyone did now and must have a valid point. Nor was she heartless. She conceded to let Jeremy be in Jules' group. If she didn't know any better, she might have confused it for his previous protective, big brother attitude he occasional got with Jules.

Juliette was upset Katherine had put her with Auggie and his wife. She felt undermined and fought back tears at the thought of spending hours with them. She knew the moment Auggie had a chance he was going to discuss Scott with her. Jeremy grumpily announced he was joining her. He had hiked and camped before, but it wasn't his forte. Scott stopped by to console Jeremy. He apologized for making Jeremy go with them. Although bummed, Jeremy understood. Scott's fingers grazed Juliette's fingers. He gave them a squeeze as he left to join Shelby.

Auggie confidently led the group, while Jennifer read the map. Juliette and Jeremy followed last. Neither one speaking for a while, but then Jeremy asked, "Is this even legal? Can we talk to them without a license? Did Peter do background checks on us?" "Shelby doesn't seem too concerned, and she's a social worker," Juliette answered. Then, there was silence again. Juliette wasn't used to the altitude and focused on her breathing. Jeremy was growing weary with each passing hour. He wondered when Auggie would finally stop. They barely took breaks. The students grew quieter and wearier. Finally at dusk, Auggie announced they were done for the day.

After tents were set-up, Auggie had the students do lone reflections. Jennifer started working on dinner, while the other three gathered firewood. Juliette heard movement behind her and quickly turned around to see Auggie standing a few feet from her. "Not now," she told him firmly.

"Jules, please listen," Auggie said, ignoring her wishes. "I'm sorry for upsetting you in San Francisco, he continued. She stood there looking at him. He needed her to know he truly wanted the best for her. He told her as he had done before that he wanted her to be happy. He was proud of her. However, he genuinely believed Scott would hurt her. He also wanted her to see how Scott and Shelby should be together. He reviewed Scott and Shelby's relationship at Horizon and their subsequent relationship after graduation. How he knew so much Juliette didn't know. She still didn't say anything. Auggie found himself getting frustrated by her silence. No reaction from her.

He got to his main point. She deserved to know the truth and to fully see what she was up against; "Shelby always thought there was still hope for them, even while he was dating Charlotte. Shelby eventually confronted Scott about them, and he admitted he still held a flame for her. They kissed, and it was the beginning of the end for him and Charlotte. Shelby can beckon him back when she wants," he said. It took all her strength not to crumble…or beat him with the sticks she was carrying.

"That's enough!" Jeremy shouted. He stormed up to Auggie. Juliette didn't know what was said because she took off running. She ran to the edge of a ravine and sat down on the ground. The tears and panic attack were coming on full force now. Her old insecurities came back. She wasn't good enough for anyone. She could never compete with Shelby. She was ugly and stupid. More importantly she was still a useless, barren woman no matter how hard she tried not to be.

She felt firm hands grasp her shoulders and a warm, soft voice telling her not to listen to Auggie. Jeremy also told her not to let her insecurities get to her. "He's going to do the same thing to me that he did to Charlotte. She's going to want him back, and he'll go. Why didn't anyone tell me? You? Scott?" she sobbed as Jeremy pulled her into a hug and held her. He was disappointed Scott never told her.

Jules woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. She hoped Auggie was wide awake and riddled with guilt. It was immature thinking, but it made her feel better. His words resurfaced in her mind. "Shelby can beckon him back when she wants." The words rang out in her mind and pierced her heart. Jeremy had pointed out that maybe Auggie's true issue wasn't her liking Scott. Maybe Auggie was still struggling with him and Jules never making it. They proved all the naysayers right. Scott and Shelby were symbolic. This explanation didn't make sense to Juliette though. She failed to see the connection.

As she was thinking, she heard the pop of a fire, but the campfire had been put out before everyone went into their tents. Jules peeked out and saw Jeremy sitting in front of an ever so small fire. She was impressed he had managed to start one. He kept glancing over his shoulders. His lids were heavy for sleep. She questioned if everything was okay. Jeremy twisted nervously. After several seconds, he admitted he was terrified a bear would come into the area and maul him.

"Jeremy, no offense, but being awake and watching for them isn't really going to save you if one attacks you," she said. Bears had made her nervous too. They were probably why Peter did most of their longer hikes in colder weather.

"If I'm attacked, I want to see it coming. I want to at least go down fighting," he answered. Then added, "It's silly, I know. Being from Chicago, you can get attacked there too."

Juliette thought about how to comfort him. He was out of his elements, and she knew the feeling once upon a time. "Please don't take this wrong, but if you want, you can sleep in my tent with me?" she offered.

"Really?"' he asked with relief and thankfulness. He grabbed his sleeping bag and followed her into her tent. They laid with their backs to one another and fell asleep in a matter of minutes. Jeremy left at first light, so no one would know he stayed in Juliette's tent and get the wrong impression. Once he dashed to his tent, he stood to his full height and let out a deep sigh. To Jeremy's dismay, Auggie was already up making breakfast. He and Jeremy made eye contact, and the expression on the other's face told Jeremy that Auggie saw him come from Juliette's tent. Jeremy didn't know what to say, so he hurried into his tent.

The adults were quiet and weary of one another, but the students were in good moods and chatted idly. As they continued their hike, they ran into Scott and Shelby's group. The two seemed to be quiet and tired too. Auggie suggested they merge the groups for lunch. While the stew was cooking, Scott sent students off to do a lone reflection. Shelby said she would go to each one and see if they wanted to talk. "We haven't done our on-on-one therapy session yet," Scott explained as she left.

"Uh, meat. Is there something going on between Jeremy and Juliette?" Auggie asked.

"No," Scott answered. His heart pounded at the question. What happened to make him ask? He looked over at the two in question. Juliette and Jeremy were heating the French press over the fire. He felt that bitter jealously again. "Jeremy's better than you," an insecure voice told him. He looked at Jeremy. Men weren't always as vocal in acknowledging each other's looks, but they noticed, judged, and compared.

Jeremy had a pleasant face. Thick, light brown hair kept short paired with brown eyes on a fair face. He stood at 5'10, which was considered short by some. Jeremy was the type of man women thought was handsome until a man with more distinguished features came onto the scene. Scott usually stole the attention with his striking coloring and height. Jeremy was too good natured to get offended and was used to it. Jeremy had a fun, outgoing personality that usually won people back. Scott had observed, but until Juliette, it never bothered him. Jeremy was his best friend. They balanced each other out at work and socially.

After her confrontation with Auggie, she refused to look at Scott. He hadn't noticed yet and sat down beside her. She silently offered him a cup of coffee. Auggie had walked off to collect firewood. "Auggie asked me if there was something going on between you and Jeremy," Scott told her. Juliette had a sense of déjà vu, expect this time it wasn't Auggie but Jeremy who Scott was questioning her about. However, everything was completely innocent.

Jeremy told her Auggie saw him leave her tent. Juliette had nothing to hide. She told Scott exactly what happened with Jeremy. Jeremy confirmed it. He also told Scott about Auggie's conversation with Juliette.

If Auggie was going to stir up trouble, then Jeremy was going to alert them to it; "Scott, I don't know if he was intentional or not, but maybe he was trying to cause trouble? Create doubt and a divide?"

Scott was furious. Old, pre-Shelby Scott had possessed him. These dolts were bringing his old self out only to turn it back on him as if they were completely innocent. Scott took off the direction Auggie had gone. Jeremy and Juliette, recognizing the look in his eyes, ran after him.

"Don't do anything you'll regret, Scott," Juliette called out to him.

Scott charged Auggie and shoved him to the ground. He had the element of surprise on his side and got in a few punches before Auggie started fighting back. Jennifer started running toward them, yelling at both men. Shelby was finishing her rounds when she heard yelling and found Jennifer holding Auggie back and Jeremy holding Scott. She immediately knew it was somehow related to Juliette. She felt as if they all had been transported back to Scott's first month at Horizon.


	14. Chapter 14

Ch. 14

I do not own _Higher Ground_ or any its characters.

"Stop it!" Shelby shouted. The others froze and looked at her charging towards them.

"Stop it! I don't know what happened, but we are here for the kids! Do you understand?" Shelby told them. Scott and Auggie put their heads down in shame. They all felt bad. Shelby was right. They were here to help lost young adults first and foremost.

Scott saw students returning from their solo reflections. He told Shelby their group was going to separate from Auggie's group and have lunch a mile up the trail. The students groaned, but Shelby agreed it was for the best. As they hiked, Shelby asked what happened between him and Auggie. Scott told her Auggie revealed to Jules why he and Charlotte's relationship ended.

"He didn't tell her for her own benefit. He told her to scare her off," Scott huffed. Shelby asked why he hadn't told her yet.

"Because I wanted to make sure she knew me well enough to know I wouldn't do it again," Scott said without skipping a beat.

Shelby felt a knot in the pit of her stomach as she noted Scott's worry at the prospect of losing Juliette. She couldn't avoid talking to him forever, but she wasn't ready yet. Not when she wanted to focus on the students. Plus…it was surreal. So instead, they hiked, and she acted as if nothing was different.

The situation with Charlotte was bad enough, but Shelby could only imagine the spin Auggie put on it to hurt Jules. Scott and Charlotte's relationship got serious to the point they discussed marriage. Shelby panicked when Scott told her about it. She decided she needed closure with him, so she asked to see him while he was visiting his dad for a holiday. They ended up arguing with Shelby trying to make sure he was making the right decision. She admitted it wasn't her greatest moment. They continued arguing, but it became about their former relationship. Then, he gave an indication he still had feelings for her. They ended up kissing but quickly felt remorse and stopped.

Scott told Charlotte about a month after it happened. Understandable, Charlotte was devastated. They lasted two more months before Charlotte ended things. Scott and Shelby felt guilty and decided to respect Charlotte by not getting together. It didn't help Scott's parents were disappointed in them. Scott swore off dating anyone. Shelby need time to process everything as well, but she was relieved. Deep down, she knew it would be the two of them together.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked her.

"Just thinking," she told him.

Shelby wasn't exactly surprised when she got Scott's e-mail. Part of her knew she couldn't keep their relationship on pause. She did though and kept wondering when Scott would confront her about it. She also wondered if and when another woman would come along and take him from her. She never expected Juliette, but she wasn't surprised by the time she got his e-mail. In Washington, she wondered if anything was going on between them. Juliette had flown in to see Scott, and he was concerned with her comfort. They had worked together for a year. Juliette still had a vulnerability to her, but she seemed stronger and more assured. Their older personalities meshing better than they did at Horizon. Jules certainly had the looks to turn Scott's head.

"How did Auggie even find out? I didn't even tell Daisy. Outside of our families only Peter and Sophie knew," Shelby pondered, wanting to know.

"You don't think Peter or Sophie told him, do you?" Scott asked angrily. Shelby didn't think they would do something so conniving. She was curious as to how Auggie found out though.

There were so many questions she wanted to ask him concerning Juliette, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answers. How deep were their feelings? Was it only interest? Or infatuation? Love? Were they intimate? Did Juliette know his secrets?

After they ate, Scott and Shelby decided to do their one-on-one talks with each student. Scott would talk to the males and Shelby to the females. Scott's first student was Gabe Nowak. Gabe reminded Scott of Daisy when she first arrived. His hair was dyed jet black, his nails had black, chipped paint on them, and he wore a black cape.

Gabe glared at him through his hair. Scott asked him if there was anything they wanted to talk about. No response from Gabe who continued to pierce Scott with his light amber eyes. Scott put on his business persona, which was to remain calm even in hostile situations. Scott finally shifted away from the young man. His face softened, and his eyes scanned the forest. It must have made him look less defensive.

"How did a jock like you end up here?" Gabe asked, finally saying something. Scott looked at Gabe to make sure he had heard correctly. Scott observed him intently.

"Gabe, are you a female?" Scott asked. Gabe studied Scott hard before answering. "Biologically yes, but I want to be male. My birth name is Gabrielle," he told Scott. Gabe explained Peter let him stay in the male cabin. Gabe made sure to keep his sex unknown. He talked very little or low. He wasn't sure how his classmates would react to having a female sleeping among them. To Gabe though, he was a man. "Times have changed," Scott thought.

"Do you ever feel like you're constantly fighting people's perceptions of you?" Scott asked, not really knowing why. If he felt that way, he wondered if Gabe did too. Gabe sat up straighter.

"Yeah. My parents won't accept me for who I really am. They set out to punish me for it. I tried to change, but it made me depressed. I started hanging out with "rejects" because they knew what it was like to not fit in," Gabe said.

"I'm sorry," was all Scott could think of to say. He was bad at this. Gabe shrugged, "I don't want your help." A few seconds later, he added, "My parents won't let me take hormones." Scott didn't save Gabe, but Gabe was able to air out some frustrations. They also had a pleasant conversation about football. Thinking of someone else beside himself made him feel better.

Shelby asked how his talks went. They went better than he expected. Two students used some choice words with him, but he found it funny given how he was when he arrived at Horizon.

They continued their hike back to Horizon. The cabins were a welcomed sight and the group picked up their pace to the finish. Peter and Sophie came out of the lodge and clapped at their successful trip. Scott forgot how hard hiking was and every part of his body was sore. He barely mustered a smile to Peter who patted him on the back.

"Are we the first group back?" Kayla asked eagerly.

"No. Auggie's group came back first," Sophie told her.

Scott became eager to find Juliette. He needed to mend any damage Auggie had done. He was sure she was upset. Peter stopped him after he unpacked his supplies and told him to grab a hot meal in the cafeteria. Scott wanted to shower first, but Peter insisted he eat first. Scott was confused until he saw Shelby eating alone. She looked lost in thought. Her falling ponytail and the dirt on her face made her look ten years younger. Scott felt bad for wanting to find Juliette. He and Shelby had too much history to write her off, so he asked if he could join her.

Peter didn't leave them alone. "The food hasn't changed much over the years, but Rusty's added some new items to their menu. You two should go there for dinner." Scott wanted to cringe from Peter's matchmaking attempts.

"Yeah, we should. We can visit and talk," Shelby said directly to Scott. Scott nodded yes.

"Great! It's all settled. Stay out as late as you two crazy kids want," Peter said joyfully. Scott really needed to find Juliette. He told Shelby he would see her later for dinner. Walking through campus, he saw Jennifer. She was on her way to eat. He stopped her and apologized for attacking her husband. To his surprise, she was calm and understanding.

"It wasn't Auggie's place to tell Juliette about your indiscretions, especially when his intentions weren't for the best," Jennifer said.

"You seem to be taking all of this in stride. Shouldn't you be upset by his concern over Jules?" Scott asked.

"I'm annoyed by his mean spiritedness, but I understand. Auggie has felt really guilty over the years concerning Juliette. We weren't exactly saints, and he left her in tears after yelling at her. He worried about her. He looked for her to apologize but no one gave him information on her whereabouts. He wants closure. I get it. They were together for years," Jennifer explained.

"But why does he keep bringing me up? Why doesn't he apologize and then, leave her alone?" Scott wanted to know.

Jennifer shrugged and said, "He always looked out for her until he became the issue. He is doing it poorly, but he wants her to be happy. He is worried you will hurt her though."

"Scott, go shower! Shelby won't want to go on a date with you if you smell," Jess laughed as she headed to the main lodge.

"Maybe Auggie isn't completely wrong," Jennifer said as she side eyed him and continued walking.

Scott learned Juliette was sleeping, so he showered and took a nap instead of talking to her. Ezra woke him up to tell him it was time for him to get ready for his dinner. "Going on a date with Sh-el-byyy," David teased, swirling his hips in a suggestive manner. Scott was annoyed everyone seemed to know about it. It wasn't even a date. Shelby wanted to talk to him, and the two of them knew why. On his way to the bathroom, Jeremy shot daggers at him with his eyes. "At this rate, I'll be the one to bring Jeremy and Juliette together," Scott thought. He threw on dark denim jeans and a grey flannel shirt in an effort to keep it causal.

Scott knew everyone was in the lodge, but he stopped by the girls' cabin anyway to see if Juliette was there. She was alone in the cabin as he had hoped. He started explaining everything. Juliette got off her bed and placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Scott, it has been a year of needless drama and worry. It didn't have to be so complicated. We shouldn't have kept going round and a round. I should have stayed away. I'm sorry..." Juliette said before Scott stopped her.

"Please, don't do this again. I know how it'll go. We'll stop talking. Then, in two weeks, we'll be together again. Let me explain…" he said, holding her hand.

"It's no longer about Shelby. It hasn't been for a while now. I know you genuinely care for me. I don't doubt it, but I want you to be happy. You deserve the best, Scott. An emotionally stable woman capable of giving you everything you want with little or no trouble. Whether it's with Shelby or with someone else, I don't think it's with me. I don't want to burden you with my insecurities and issues. I don't want to take your energy. I'm not being dramatic. I've thought all of this for a while now, but I've been selfishly keeping you," Juliette told him gently.

Scott knew she was really saying goodbye this time. Her expression was sad and loving. Her voice dripped with pain. The green eyes he'd come to love bore into his without letting go of their focus. Scott realized the dilemma in loving someone. They say if you loved someone, you let the person go with the hope the person came back to you. Part of him wanted to respect her decision. The other part of him wanted to fight for her. He was torn between his selfishness and respect for her. He hoped she was saying these things but secretly wanted him to come for her.

"I love you," Scott said, looking down at her. The tears slowly started coming.

"I love you too, Scott. And we can at least take comfort in knowing it was love," she said, crying now too.

Everything else seemed to fade away except for them. For a moment, they were happy. They loved and were loved. Yet, the joy was dulled by the sadness at Juliette's decision. He leaned down and kissed her to feel her warmth one more time. They pressed their foreheads together before she pulled away to wipe his tears. "You should go meet Shelby," she said. Once Scott left, she got in the shower hoping it would muffle her crying in case someone came into the cabin.

To keep himself from bawling, he kept thinking how Juliette said she loved him. He loved her, and it brought bittersweet joy knowing she loved him too. To his dismay, everyone was in the lodge waiting for him. He hoped he looked okay because he was falling apart inside. How he kept it together when his abuse first started, he didn't know. Shelby stood by the fire wearing a sweater dress and nice boots. She seemed nervous, but the others smiled and snuck in innuendos. Peter wished them luck. Only Sophie and Daisy looked concerned.

The drive to Rusty's was quiet as they both were trapped in their own thoughts. After they ordered, Shelby asked how he thought the reunion was going over all. He thought the parts involving the students were going well. Shelby was nervous to tell him who provided Auggie the information. He still seemed upset about it.

"Is everything okay?" she final asked after noticing how miserable he looked.

He didn't know how more he could handle. It wasn't Shelby's fault. He just wanted to be alone to grieve.

"Juliette said nothing was going to happen between us," he answered.

"Did you want something to happen between you two?"

After what seemed a lifetime of silence, Scott answered, "Yes." They both awkwardly sat there not sure what else to say.

Finally, Scott said, "I'm sorry, Shelby. I didn't know tonight was going to take the direction it did. You don't deserve this. I went to explain everything to Jules, and she told me nothing was going to happen between us. It wasn't about us but more related to her past. She doesn't want a repeat of Auggie."

"What happened?"

"It's not my place to tell you. You can ask her or Auggie, although Auggie doesn't know what happened after they broke-up."

"I found out who told Auggie. It was Jess."

Shelby could see the switch from sadness to anger in Scott's face, so she quickly tried to soothe him; "I know you're mad. I know what she did was wrong, but Jess was only to trying to help me. She wanted to eliminate the competition and help bring us back together. I didn't know she would do something like that, and I told her it was wrong. I also didn't realize how serious you and Jules were."

"I should have told you sooner. I was scared though. Not only about telling you but also in liking Juliette. It was new, and I never expected it to be her."

"Is there any possibility of her changing her mind?"

"I don't think this time."

Scott felt so good earlier in the day from working with students. Now, he felt awful again. He also couldn't believe Jess told Auggie. He felt betrayed.

Shelby asked him a few more questions about him and Juliette. They also talked some about their relationship before deciding to return to Horizon. It was still early, so they snuck back to their cabins to avoid everyone in the lodge. Scott carefully opened the door but found no one in the cabin. He was glad because he wanted to openly mourn. He sat on the end of his bed and started crying. He cried for Juliette, for Shelby, and for everyone else who was struggling. Auggie struggled with the way his relationship with Jules ended. Ezra still had drug issues. Gabe was trapped by his biology and rejected by his family.


	15. Chapter 15

Ch. 15

I do not own _Higher Ground_ or any of its characters.

(Note: This is short. The resolution is coming though! I think there's 2 or 3 more chapters left. It's bittersweet for me. I'll miss writing this story. I hope whoever is following has enjoyed it. I wanted to write something a little different.)

The rest of the trip was like a bad dream. Scott and Juliette were ready to return to the safety of their isolated lives in Pasadena. Scott and Shelby were questioned about their date by everyone who saw them. Shelby shrugged and receded into herself. Scott answered, "It didn't go well. I'm not going into detail. It's personal, so please stop asking about it."

Peter asked to see Scott the next afternoon. Peter had heard both were reluctant to talk about it. Scott told Peter what he had told everyone else. Peter sat him down and tried to gently probe what had happened. Scott wouldn't budge. Peter gave him a similar speech he had given Scott in his youth when he and Shelby were first together.

"There was something positive between you two, and I'd hate to see it gone. I'm rooting for you two and have been for years. The moment I saw you two, I knew there was something special there. You two have taken on the world together and won. It's time to continue that journey," Peter encouraged him

"Peter, stop with the motivational speaker crap. I've faced life by myself because Shelby ditched me years ago, and I'm just now realizing it. She was there for me in my hour of need, which I'm thankful for and always will be, but she moved on with her life. I was the one stuck at two crossroads trying to figure out which direction to go, and I mostly did it by myself. People would show up every now-and-then, give me encouragement, leave, and come back at another time to do it all over again. I ran off the woman who wanted to stay. Maybe two," Scott threw back at Peter. Sophie, who had been come into the office unnoticed, finally made her presence known by saying Peter's name. She walked over to Peter and told him it wasn't his place to get involved.

"But, I can't stand here while Scott throws his relationship with Shelby away like this. You and I have always advocated for them," he told Sophie. Peter directed his attention to Scott; "You seem to have a lot of resentment towards Shelby. You two need talk and work through it. Communication is key. You can fall back in love with her. Relationships take work, but they're worth it."

Scott shook his head and walked out of Peter' office. Scott saw a taxi cab pull up and saw Juliette walking to it with her luggage. Without thinking of anything else, Scott rushed over to the taxi. "I think it would be best if I stayed in Agnes tonight," was all she said. Jeremy came out with his suitcase too. "I don't understand," Scott said, perplexed.

"Jess and Kat had some things to say to Juliette about you two. Kat was well meaning, but Jess was cutthroat. She is Shelby's sister, so it's expected, I guess. Frankly, I've had enough of your former classmates. Scott, I'm a former screwed-up kid too, but I couldn't imagine going to a place where there were multiple versions of me. A high school on top of it," Jeremy explained.

"Maybe I'm running, but sometimes you have to learn when to walk away and not fight back," Juliette said putting the last bag in the trunk. "Oh, is that all the time for you?" Scott maliciously asked. Juliette and Jeremy shot him dark looks before they got in the cab.

Scott walked around trying to fight his raging urge to go yell at Jess and Katherine. He still wanted to lash out at Auggie for his role in all the drama. He found himself at the docks. The lapping water and still air slowly calmed him. He thought of his role in loosing Juliette and how he should have handled things differently. "Should have" was a lesson learned in the present though. Scott sat at the docks well after it was dark outside.

He finally made his way back to the cabin. He started to reorganize some of his clothes, so he didn't have to do it before leaving the next day. Upon opening his bag, he saw an envelope in it. It was from Juliette:

 _Dear Scott,_

 _I want to better explain my decision to end things between us. There was something between us, even if we denied and fought it. Well, mostly I did. A letter may be the coward's way out, but I couldn't make it through everything I want to stay without choking on my tears. You see, at first, I wanted you out of loneliness and a comfortable dose of familiarity. The more I got to know you though, the deeper those feelings became. Then, my feelings became a knowing, and I saw I was in danger. I realized at your dad's house Shelby was not a concern anymore. You had moved on without you probably realizing it. My other concerns lingered though, and I knew they were the real issue. Shelby was a way to save you from me. I found myself praying before this trip that you and Shelby would reunite. I prayed the pain of losing you wouldn't be too great. I started the grieving process weeks ago. I was selfishly keeping you and preventing you from having the kind of life you had envisioned for yourself. The life you recounted to me on those early nights of our deepening friendship. While it is not impossible, there is no guarantee I will have children. It could take years and years of toil and pain. I don't want that fate for you…or anyone. I don't want you to be frustrated, sad, or filled with regret. I don't want you to spend nights having to console me as I grieve a future I can't have or watch me grapple with my past. Knowing myself, I know those nights will come again. I want you to find a nice, stable life with a loving, caring woman. I want you to have children. I hope at least one looks like you or at least have your blue eyes. Auggie gave me my first experience with love. First love based on youthfulness and dependency. With you, I was able to experience a deeper, more mature kind of love. Thank you for allowing me to experience it. I'm sorry for all the needless drama and confusion I have caused you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Juliette_

Jeremy and Juliette stopped by Horizon to briefly say their goodbyes. Word had now gotten around among the former members about Scott and Juliette. Everyone, including Peter, had questions, but Scott's demeanor told everyone to stay away from the subject. David made was bummed he couldn't make a pass at Juliette. Ezra couldn't fathom anyone not wanting to be with Shelby. Kara, a Cliffhanger who joined the group during their last year, had thought there was something between Juliette and Jeremy. They all watched, but no one said a word.

Mr. Henderson deemed their trip a PR success. He invited the group out to lunch. All three were noted by Henderson to be very quiet and somber. They said they were just tired from all the Horizon activities. Jeremy and Mr. Henderson both stepped outside to take business calls, leaving the other two alone. Juliette hoped Scott wouldn't bring up the letter. "How long will it be before the pain goes away?" he asked. It was a question filled with worry and longing. "I ask myself the same question," she answered.

Two months had not dulled the pain. In fact, the pain intensified. After a meeting, Scott asked if Juliette could stay late an hour to set-up for a magazine luncheon. Jules apologized saying she had a doctor's appointment but would come in an hour early in the morning. Scott found her crying in her car as he passed it on the way to his own. He tapped the window and startled her. She knew she was busted and opened the door. Scott wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried against his chest. She pulled away. "This is exactly what I didn't want. I didn't want you to have to console me when I'm emotional. I don't want to bring you down," she said sniffling.

"How much lower can I go?" Scott scoffed but added, "I like comforting you. Not that I like seeing you in pain, but I like making you feel better." He was staring down at the ground and wouldn't met the eyes he knew were boring into his face. "Wait, isn't she missing her appointment?" he realized.

"Your appointment. I can bring you?" he offered.

"No. My therapist moved my appointment to tomorrow. I'll go back in and set up for the luncheon," she sighed.

Scott went in to help her. She didn't protest but didn't speak to him either. Having his presence there soothed the ache that had been there since Horizon. The relief was temporary, but it was still relief.

A week later, Scott decided maybe he should see a therapist too. He wanted someone to talk to and help him sort out his feelings. He wanted help understanding exactly what he wanted for his future too. Dr. Fabian noted nothing had been fully resolved between him and Shelby. Nothing had been resolved concerning the Horizon weekend. He hadn't gotten closure with Juliette either. Not the closure he wanted anyway. Dr. Fabian thought if Juliette was willing to talk with him, he might be able to move on from everything.

He told Juliette about Dr. Fabian and his suggestion for closure. She agreed to meet with him to talk. They met at 3 mile hiking trail. This way it would give them time to talk but not unlimited time. They ended up walking the trail 3 times. They discussed everything they could concerning their relationship, their relationship with others, their unresolved issues, the past year, and their present. Juliette's therapist said it takes on average 6 months to fully move-on; at least be willing to commit to another person or not feel intense pain anymore.

The aired had been cleared, but it didn't lighten the pain. The communication and clarity were now there that they almost wanted to keep it open between them, but Scott was wary. Juliette felt it was unwise to keep communication open as it would start the cycle over again. Before they left, Scott told Juliette the letter had caused him more joy and pain than he had felt in a while. He was honored to be loved by a woman of her caliber. Her decision hurt him, but he understood she was doing it out of love. The problem with love is sometimes people's wills didn't align. One person wanted to walk away, another one wanted to stay.

A week and a half later, someone knocked on Juliette's door. On opening the door, the person gave Juliette a meek smile.

"Hi, princess. Can I come in?"

(Another useless note: I veered from my intended course twice. First, no love triangle. Second, nothing serious went down at Horizon or was resolved there. Both would've been too obvious and cliche.)


	16. Chapter 16

Ch. 16

I do not own _Higher Ground_ or any of its characters. I don't own anything by Shakespeare either.

It took Juliette a moment to register Shelby was at her door. The two women stared at each other before Juliette came to her senses and let Shelby inside. "Nice place you've got here," Shelby said to break the ice. Shelby sat on the couch, while Juliette made them tea. Her hand couldn't stop shaking as she poured the hot water into cups. She knew Shelby's visit was tied to Scott, but she didn't know the exact reason. Maybe Shelby wanted to confront her?

Once on the couch, Shelby immediately got to the point of her visit. "I want you to date Scott," Shelby said point blankly. "Scott knows my reasons and understands them," Juliette replied. Shelby could still deliver a swift blow. "I don't doubt you want him to be happy, but you're really basing this all out of fear. Fear of being left again. Fear of being rejected," she said to Juliette.

Shelby knew she had been harsh, so went on to explain herself better. She spent the last two nights at Scott's place. Shelby realized she had slowly moved on from her relationship with Scott. First love did not always equate true love, and sometimes people outgrew one another. Even relationships based on the direst of situations. The fading of their relationship happened so slowly Shelby didn't even noticed until it was too late. Scott had realized it earlier and tried to fight it. Shelby denied there was a concern and thought Scott was clinging to the past. Like Scott, she was terrified to let go and hoped one day the intense feelings would return. She too was scared of the unknown, but she knew Scott. The incident between her and Scott while Scott was with Charlotte was their closure. They needed closure. It was poorly timed but closure nonetheless. After the incident, Shelby had subconsciously moved on with her life.

Shelby saw with dismay at first, then acceptance that Scott's affections he once had for her and been transferred to Juliette. Shelby had her suspicions while staying at Martin's. She noticed their ease with one another, and Scott's interest in Juliette's well-being. Seeing them interact forced Shelby to confront her relationship with Scott. She finally had to admit what she had mentally been avoiding for years. She and Scott had somehow fallen out of love and now he truly was in love with someone else. She knew Scott. They loved one another, so she could identify the signs when she saw him with Juliette. She was still processing everything, but she assured Juliette she would be fine. Shelby never thought it would Scott and Juliette, but she knew Juliette would love Scott in the way he deserved to be loved and vice versa.

Shelby then addressed Juliette's fears. Shelby could only imagine the pain Juliette felt over her fertility issues. She knew it must have been devastating for Jules to loose Auggie, especially under the circumstances. She didn't want Juliette to let fear run her life though. Shelby also thought Juliette was taking away Scott's right to choose. Jules wasn't allowing Scott to prove himself one way or the other either. Shelby knew Scott well enough to know he was more loving, loyal, and caring than many gave him credit for. Even at Horizon, Shelby had seen underneath his wounded and spoiled attitude was a protective, nurturing person. Shelby thought Scott was completely capable and willing to love and support Juliette, even though hardships. Shelby pointed out Juliette told Scott about her fertility issues early on, yet Scott still wanted to be with her.

"All I'm asking is you reconsider everything. Date him and see where it goes? What is the worse that happen? You two date and realize it isn't working, so you end things. It sounds like you decided to be single anyway. There's nothing wrong with being single, but it sounds like you're doing it out of fear. If it doesn't work out with Scott, you can go back to living your life as it is now. At least you would've tried instead of never knowing what could have been. You've already been through fire and came out of it stronger," Shelby concluded.

Juliette sat quietly processing Shelby's words. Something occurred to Juliette. "How do you know about everything?" she asked. Scott could've provided most of the information but not all of it. Shelby revealed Auggie had come down here with her and was staying with Scott too. Shelby had talked to him at Horizon. They both came in hopes of correcting some of the damage.

"He's outside on the steps actually. He wants to talk to you but only if you want to see him," Shelby stated. Juliette agreed to him one more time. Before getting Auggie, Shelby gave Jules a letter. While Shelby was outside, Juliette read the letter.

 _Dear Juliette,_

 _I want to give my sincere apology. I never thought in my effort to reunite Scott and Shelby, I was hurting another one of my other students. No matter how old you all get, you will always be my students-my responsibilities. You have so much to offer. Being presented with the possibility of you and Scott, I think you two would be a great couple. It is ultimately your decision, but please do not let fear dictate it. Be brave Juliette and don't be afraid to go after what you want._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Peter_

Looking up from the letter, she saw Auggie sheepishly standing by the door. She motioned him to come in and sit next to her. They sat in silence while she waited for Auggie to say something. She was too overcome with emotions to say anything. Finally Auggie started, "Jules, I know I keep saying I want you to be happy, then keep doing the opposite. I keep messing everything up with you. Right or wrong, Sophie confronted me about what happened with you after I left." He stopped and fought back tears.

He took a deep breath and continued, "I'm so sorry, Jules. I should have handled things differently. I can't believe I let you go like I did and not make sure you were okay. I had always protected you. Then, when you finally needed me, I ditched you. And I was the cause of it! The first few months, I avoided all contacting you because I was ashamed of myself. I felt guilty over my part. My parents were disappointed in me too. I thought about you every day though. I eventually tried contacting you but was unable to find you. When Scott told me he worked with you, I was overwhelmed with joy. You were doing well beyond my greatest expectations. I guess part of me thought you would've been married by now, so I was surprised you were career orientated. On finding out you liked Scott, I was hurt. My old insecurities returning. Jennifer was intimidated by you. She was also mad at me for being upset by you and Scott's budding relationship. It wasn't just my pride hurt. I was genuinely worried Scott would hurt you. I assumed my old role and wanted to protect you. I didn't want anyone to hurt you. At Horizon, Jennifer and Shelby confronted me about my behavior. Shelby told me top open my eyes and see Scott really loved you. After talking to Sophie, I realize there have been lasting repercussions for both of us due to the failure of our relationship. I don't want you to avoid Scott or any potential relationship because of what happened to us. You are an amazing woman. Please don't be afraid Juliette." A few tears slid down his cheeks. He pulled her into a hug. Juliette knew he wanted closure and forgiveness, so she gave it to him. She hugged him back, and they discussed their relationship for another hour. She admitted to her own failures in the relationship and apologized for them. Both should have been brave enough to end the relationship.

Two days after talking to Shelby and Auggie, Juliette stopped by Scott's office. A co-worker said he was on the roof where employees sometimes went to take a break. The roof was made into a tiny park with potted trees and shrubbery. Benches were lined around the edge so workers could look out at the city and mountains. Scott was looking at the mountains. The afternoon was giving way to evening. She stopped to admire his hair in the sunlight and then shook her head at her own silliness. She hesitantly asked to sit next to him. He patted the area next to him.

"I've been talking to my therapist these past two days. I was initially going to pursue adoption or starting looking into treatments to have kids on my own. In about six months. I decided to pursue something else instead though," she said, also looking at the mountains. Her heart pounded in her chest, hoping Scott would take the bait.

"What are you going to do instead?" he asked.

"I want to pursue you...but only if you want me to. No more drama or circles. I came up here to see if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight at the Italian bistro in downtown?" she asked nervously.

"Pick me up at seven," he said leaning towards her. A huge grin spread over his face. His smile was contagious, and she smiled too. She hadn't realized she started crying until a tear slipped down her cheek. Scott wiped it away, kissed her cheek, and rested his forehead on hers. He wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned against him as they continued looking at the mountains. Both had grins plastered on their faces.

"What movie are we watching tonight?" Juliette asked, smiling. She felt she couldn't stop smiling the past month. It was a much better alternative than crying though. Scott and Juliette were staying in for a dinner and a movie at her place. Scott held up _Star Wars: A New Hope_ and laughed as Juliette's face fell. He leaned in and gave her a peck on her frowning face.

"You've watched and liked Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and even Doctor Who. I think you might get into it. Just try it," Scott said.

Juliette had trouble focusing on the movie though. She liked it, but she was too distracted by Scott's presence. She wanted to be closer to him. Scott could sense Juliette watching him more than the movie. He saw she was studying him from the corner of his eye. She seemed to be getting nervous. Noticing her twisting her hands, he turned to look directly at her.

Before he could say anything, Juliette wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She gave him a firmer kiss, followed by more kisses. He leaned in more and wrapped his arms around her waist. He wasn't interested in the movie any more. Juliette laid back on the sofa and pulled Scott's hips towards her aligning his hips with hers. She ran her hands along his t-shirt covered back down to his butt and squeezed it.

Scott broke the kiss, but Juliette didn't want to give him any control yet. She wanted to focus on him, so she ran her fingers through his hair. She held his head as she passionately kissed him. While wrapping an arm around his shoulders, she used her free hand to glide it under his shirt. She separated their bodies enough to run her hands along his chest before sliding them further down into his pants. He jerked slightly and broke the kiss. "Don't tease me," he said in a hoarse whisper. His eyes were dark with desire and his lips were swollen from kissing.

"Who says I'm teasing you," Juliette told him, slipping out from under him and leading him to the bedroom. On the way to the room, she debated whether she wanted foreplay or not. She shut the door behind them trying to create extra privacy of sort. Once they were both in, she gently pushed Scott against the door. Kissing him and running her hands over him one more time before undressing him. There would be plenty of time for foreplay later. She wanted him now. Immediately after being undressed, Scott hoisted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

He walked them to the bed and roughly sat her down on the end of it. He quickly took off her clothes. She laid back on the bed and looked up at him. He stared at her with clear desire written on his face. He put his hand at the base of her head and pulled her into a fierce kiss. The kiss mingled with other actions put her into a daze and she lost all clarity. He knew it was time by the way she moaned his name.

When they started officially dating, both wondered about the intimacy aspect. Was it something they needed to discuss or plan? They both internally decided to let the moment develop naturally. They also wondered what it would be like the first time. Would it be slow and sensual or passionate?

The answer was passionate... and wilder than either expected. Pent up desire led to little restraint, but they went with it and let themselves loose abandonment. Their bodies melding together somehow knowing when to twist and turn with the other's body. Juliette hoped her neighbors were gone for the weekend. The noises and banging headboard were enough to keep anyone awake. She also hoped her bed hadn't cracked the wall. They stopped briefly to move the bed further from the wall and strip the blankets off the bed. They were too hot and damp to want the blankets there.

When they thought they were done, they found more energy and a new position. Finally, they spent their energy. Both laid sprawled on the bed trying to collect their breath. Scott wished he had a cigarette although he hadn't smoked in years.

Jules realized Scott's head was on her chest. He gently stroked her arm as both recovered their breath. She stroked his damp hair as she replayed the moment in her head. She tried to relax, but inside a part of her reverted back to her teenage self. She wanted to jump on the bed squealing before grabbing her journal to write about it. "Dear diary, today I was with the cutest guy. I love him so much, and everything was amazing!" she would probably write first. The scenario made her smirk.

"What are you smirking about?" he asked teasingly. He was looking lovingly at her. The way she fantasized about for a brief period before completely moving on to Auggie.

"I was replaying everything in my head," she told him. He smoothed her hair back from her forehead. "It was worth the wait. I love you," he whispered into her ear before rolling over on his back and pulling her on top of him. They had to make up for lost time.

Juliette and Scott made their way to their favorite restaurant. Jeremy and Scott's mom followed behind them. Juliette wore the purple lace dress from Scott and Jeremy's first business party, while Scott wore a grey suit. Upon walking through the door, Josh sprinted up and plopped a pearl tiara with a purple veil on Juliette's head. "I would like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Barringer!" Peter said, standing next to the couple. Their friends and family clapped as the newlyweds joined them for a celebratory dinner.

"I knew it! I knew something would happen between the two of you," Mr. Henderson, who was ecstatic, told them. Shelby, Daisy, Sophie, Auggie, and Jennifer took turns hugging the new couple. Jennifer whispered into Juliette's ear she was glad Auggie finally learned to apologize correctly.

Scott and Juliette decided to marry after six months of dating. They figured they had already spent a year getting to know one another. They also wanted to start looking into fertility treatments as early as possible since Juliette's doctor said her chances of getting pregnant would decrease with age. They decided on a small, informal courthouse wedding. Jeremy and Susan went with them to the courthouse as witnesses. They planned what they thought was a small, celebratory dinner, but more and more people said they wanted to attend it. They rented out a room of their favorite restaurant to accommodate everyone. They both found satisfaction in angering Juliette's mother by not having a lavish wedding affair. She reluctantly came to the dinner though. Hal, Martin, and Jules' father were there too.

Now that their path was clear, their relationship continued to grow and develop. They found their personalities meshed well together. Scott brought a stability to Juliette's life, while he basked in her vitality and warmth. They both types of nurturing personalities, and both wanted to make the other one happy. While children would certainly be welcomed and loved, he did not have to have them. He and Juliette could build a life together without them. Scott's decision took some pressure off of Juliette. They were able to focus on each other and the life they already had together.

Auggie and Jennifer had two more children and moved to Sacramento to work for a company who helped Hispanic youth with college. Shelby married a fellow detective and had two kids with him. Daisy married Mia, whom she met at yoga. Mia was an attorney. Jeremy and his wife Rachel took a three year stint in Pasadena. Josh and Brett continued to hold lavish parties in their home. Life continued on for everyone else.

Juliette had her moments of distress over trying to have children. As Scott held her during those low moments, she realized how fortunate she was to have him and her career. After three years of trying, they had their only child; a daughter named Rosaline. She had Scott's small mouth and full lips. Her hair was soft, wavy, and honey blonde. Large hazel eyes peered happily from a friendly face. She had Juliette's nose and good natured personality. Like Jules, she liked to laugh and smile.

In their youths, they saw married couples start to dislike each other over the years. They were pleasantly surprised to find they loved each other more over the years. They were extremely proud of one another and enjoyed each other's company. Scott loved waking up to see his two favorite females drinking coffee and juice at the table, talking about various things. It was a routine continued into Rosaline's high school years and when she came home to visit.

Scott and Juliette were always open in discussing various topics, including their pasts, with Rosaline. They wanted Rosaline to be able to feel safe coming to them about anything. In Rosaline's cynical teen years, she would sometimes scoff at her parents continued adoration of each other. At other times, especially as she grew older, Rosaline would rest her head on a parent's shoulder and ask them to tell the story of how they met and fell in love. Afterwards, Rosaline would sigh deeply and say her parents set a high standard for love, but she hoped to meet it nonetheless. On reminiscing, they always found it amusing they ended up together. They were a couple no one saw coming together, including themselves. Yet, it worked, and they couldn't imagine life without one another.

In the end, never was a story of more hope than this of new Juliette and her Romeo.


End file.
